Part nine: In which an escape is made, groups gather together and new allies are found.

Varran

Kim slowly brought her head up, her eyes blinking open as she became aware of her surroundings. She was lying on a flat table, staring upward at the ceiling. She started a bit as she felt the table begin to move upward, her feet lowering toward the floor. She could feel tight straps pinning her to the surface of the table and flexed against them reflexively.

It took a moment for Kim to get the strength to look down at herself. The memories of what had been done to her by Jorbell were still high in her mind. The way he had expertly used a scalpel and a small torch to cut and light at her skin had been bad enough. The obvious delight he had taken in her pain and suffering made it all the worse. Taking a deep breath, Kim looked down at herself and blinked her eyes.

She blinked again, not quite understanding what she was seeing. Her clothing was still torn and ripped in a few places but the wounds she knew she had received on her arms were no longer there. And while there were aches, there wasn't any of the agony she had been feeling not too long before.

"Welcome back." Kim looked up to see Jorbell pacing before her, that twisted smile on his face. "To answer the question that is obviously on your feeble little mind," he continued. "Some time ago I made a little addition to my facilities here. A rather extensive healing system that can be used to heal what I did to you?"

"Why?" Kim glanced to her side to see Sean lying on a table next to her. She bit her lip as she saw the tear in his shirt, remembering his yells as Jorbell had cut a wide circle into his flesh. She turned her head away, not just to ignore the wound he had received but also not wanting to look at Sean now that he knew her true feelings for him. *God, I'm trapped on another planet at the mercy of a twisted torturer and all I can think of is how I've ruined my friendship with Sean.*

"Why?" Jorbell repeated, smirking at Sean. "Do you know the drawback of torturing someone, my young friend? You can only do so much to the human body before it gives out. Frankly, finding an uninjured space to work my skills gets more difficult as time goes on. With this facility, I can cut you, heal you, cut you, heal you and so on over and over again."

"You trying to make yourself sound tough?" Sean snorted. "Please. You're talking to two residents of Jerry Springer's home town, pal."

"No question who's got the major tech here," Kim remarked.

Jorbell shrugged. "We deserve such technology more than the masses. We are the elite, after all."

"Uh huh," Sean sniffed. "So you're the master race and the rest of the poor, pathetic people don't deserve the chance at a decent life?"

Jorbell gave him a strange look, as if he recognized a reference Sean had just made. "Something like that," he allowed. He craned his head behind him. "Eril!"

For the first time, Sean and Kim noticed the red-skinned guard standing in the shadows. He came forward, his face still drawn as he bowed his head. "Yes, sir?"

Jorbell waved a hand at the two cops. "Take them to the cells. Let them rest up a bit while I..." He chuckled. "Reenergize myself."

There was a flicker of what looked like disgust in Eril's eyes. He hid it by bowing his head again as he moved forward. His hand went to his holster as he pulled out what appeared to be a gun of some sort. The barrel was sharp, as if a bayonet had been attached to it but Sean and Kim were both willing to bet that bullets were the last thing it fired. He kept the gun aimed at the duo as Eril hit a switch on a nearby console. The straps holding the two back came loose, sliding off and allowing them to move again.

"This way," Eril commanded, waving his gun for emphasis. Stumbling a bit, Sean and Kim followed. As Kim staggered, Sean reached out a hand but Kim brushed it aside, wanting to stand on her own. The two made their way out with Eril following from a safe distance, the gun pointed at their backs. Jorbell watched them and shook his head. There was something about those two, he knew. The way they'd spoken and looked at his insignia. Almost like they found it...familiar.

*****

"You okay?" Sean asked.

"Fucking peachy," Kim muttered back. She and Sean were walking down the dark hallways leading away from the torture room. Like the rest of Fahn's palace, it was a mix between Old English-style mortar and more modern architecture, round lights that lined the walls throwing a dim illumination on their surroundings.

"Guess Mel Brooks was right," Sean muttered. "When you die at the palace, you *die* at the palace." His partner was silent and Sean looked at her with a more caring expression. "Kim," Sean stated. "I'm being serious. Are you okay?"

Kim was silent before looking up at him. "It hurt, Sean. It really hurt."

Sean knew she wasn't just talking about the physical wounds. She wasn't just talking about Fahn invading her mind. She was talking about having her deepest secret laid bare before him by someone else. Sean wanted to say something but honestly couldn't think of anything appropriate at a time like this. Not that he was exactly used to having a time like this before.

"Halt." The two police officers exchanged confused glances before stopping. His gun still trained on them, Eril moved past the duo and to a door in the side of the wall. He moved his hand toward a keypad and quickly pressed several of the buttons. As Kim and Sean watched with curiosity, the door slid open to reveal what looked for all the world like a long metal pole extending down a longer tunnel. Eril hit another button and a set of panels withdrew to show a series of crude but effective robotic arms. The arms reached out to attach three odd metal frames to the pole. Each looked like part of a bicycle, a seat extending outward with the ends showing wheels that locked around the pole.

Eril turned to the two and pointed at the seats. "Get in and hit the red button," he began to say to in a rushed tone. "Make sure you're in the seat and locked in before you do. Once that's done, hang on tight because it's a fast ride to the bottom."

"The bottom?" Kim asked in obvious confusion.

"A secret dock near one of the underground rivers," Eril told her. "Follow the water flow and it should lead you into the city itself. Just keep an eye out and a clear mind and you should be all right." He held his gun out to Sean. "Here."

Sean stared at it, then back up at Eril. "What?"

"Take it," Eril repeated. "And hit me over the head with it."

"Why?"

"Because," Eril said as if explaining something to a very small child. "If you shoot me with it, I will die. This way, I won't die. I can simply say you got the drop on me and managed to escape."

"No, no, I mean, why help us?" Sean pressed. "What's in it for you?"

"Yeah," Kim chimed in, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What's the plan? Let us escape and then follow us to wherever the others are?"

Eril raised an eyebrow. "Is everyone on your planet this paranoid?"

"It's not paranoia if they're really after you," Sean stated. "And trust me, they're after us."

"They won't be for a while if you get moving now," Eril said. "Take the gun and go while you have the chance."

Kim stared at him. "And armed with just a gun and our good looks, we're supposed to make it through an alien city?"

Eril looked away. "I'm doing what I can. Don't ask for more."

"Fine." Sean reached out and gripped Eril by the throat, yanking him in close. Narrowing his eyes, Sean put on his best "bad cop" voice. "You give us more than this or so help me-----"

With blinding speed, Eril yanked Sean's arm off his throat and held it back to the breaking point. The guard's own eyes flashed with anger as he glared at the startled Sean. "I am helping you. But I have my limits."

A blast of energy streaked past them and smacked into the wall. Eril spun around to see a pair of armored guards before him, both having seen him offering a weapon and a way out to two prisoners. Snarling a curse, Eril fired with his gun. He hit one of the guards, the being collapsing in a heap. The other wisely decided reinforcements were needed and ran off to raise an alarm.

"And there's mine," Eril sighed. He turned toward the two startled officers and shook his head.. "It looks like I'll be giving you that help after all." He brushed past them to move toward the pole. He sat himself into the lowest of the three pulleys, snapping a belt around his waist and his feet into prepared holders. "Take the other two," he ordered.

Not seeing many other options at this point, Kim and Sean did what he asked. Sean took the one above Eril, Kim stepping on his shoulders in order to reach the other. Locking himself in, Sean reached up to make sure Kim's feet were in the holders. Kim gave her partner a little smile as Sean looked down at Eril and gave a nod. "What is this, anyway?" Kim asked.

"Emergency escape system," Eril told them. "The landing area isn't that well-guarded so this should be an easy way out." He shrugged. "Provided it still works."

"If it still----" Kim started.

"Hang on," the guard said as he reached his hand toward a button on his pulley. He pressed down and watched it blink. He glanced back up at the two humans and took a breath. "You might want to prepare yourselves. This can be something of a------"

The locks holding the wheels to the pole released and the trio shot down the pole. Kim and Sean both let out yells at the sudden drop, both feeling like they were on a wild amusement park ride. Both were rather glad they hadn't had anything to eat for a while because they knew it would be scattered along the walls of the tunnel. The wind whipped around them as they swept down the tunnel. Kim and Sean could only now realize that the pole was all that was holding them from a fall of several hundred feet.

Eril was looking down, sensing the bottom and making quick calculations. He reached his finger toward the button, waiting until just the right moment to press it. As the floor grew closer and it seemed impossible for the seats to stop in time, Sean opened his mouth to let out a yell. Before he could, Eril hit the button. Sparks flew as the wheels locked in with a braking system a Formula One racecar would envy. Sean and Kim both felt their stomachs slam toward their throats as the pulley came to a sudden stop only two feet over the floor.

Unlocking himself, Eril pulled out of the pulley and reached up to help the two police officers out of their own pulleys. On the ground, Eril led them toward one part of the tight and circular chamber. He cracked open a door enough to look out and see if anyone was around. Satisfied there wasn't, he pushed the door open and led the way into what appeared to be a cavern with a large river bisecting it. Noting the chill in the air, Sean turned toward Eril. "We're deep, aren't we?"

"That's the way Varran is," the guard shrugged. "It's been built upon itself, layers upon layers. The natural waterways have been adapted, new causeways built, it makes navigating a bit difficult." He swiftly rushed to the side of the river where Kim and Sean could see a pack of boats lying ready to go. They were similar to Earth designs, bullet shaped with large foils lifting the main body off the water a few feet. Eril slid into the driver's seat of one, motioning for Kim and Sean to get in. The two did as Eril's fingers darted around the control console, entering a code that soon had the boat roaring to life.

Kim and Sean stood next to Eril and saw how the boat had no wheel, just a control panel. "Nice," Sean remarked. "I like the mix of modern tech and old style, it's really..."

"God, Sean, don't turn into that McDaniels guy," Kim groaned. She and Sean watched as Eril maneuvered the boat toward the far end of the cavern. He glanced at the two and raised an eyebrow. "You might want to sit down."

"We can handle it," Sean said as he and Kim gripped the front console. Shrugging, Eril hit two buttons. The first was to set up the magnetic field along his feet to keep him locked in place. The second was to send the boat rocketing forward, Kim and Sean yelling as they flew backward, landing in a heap on the floor. They were barely aware of the blast of air as the boat came into the still dark late night.

Sean crawled upward, digging his fingers into the floor of the boat as he tried to pull himself up. He looked up at Eril, who stood perfectly in place, his hair whipping in the wind. "You...could have...warned us!" Sean yelled out, trying to make himself heard over the rush of air.

"I did," Eril reminded him. He glanced behind him, his eyes scanning the riverwake behind him. "No pursuers yet," he muttered, more to himself than Sean. "We can hopefully have a good head start before they realize where we've gone."

Sean and Kim had managed to pull themselves into seated positions, leaning against the seats in the boat's back. They could see that the waterway was quite deep as the massive buildings of the Varran cityscape towered above them, dark shapes whipping about as they roared down the waterway.

Kim stared up at Eril, one thing still bothering her. "Why are you helping us?"

"I have my reasons," Eril stated. "For now, just be satisfied with that."

"I still want to know------"

A whooshing sound filled the air and suddenly a geyser of water blasted up with a dash of flame to it. Kim and Sean instinctively ducked as Eril snapped his head to the left. Oncoming from a smaller waterway in that direction were three boats of similar design. The difference was, each was packed with several armored soldiers and each boasted a large cannon attached to the center, each one pointed right at Eril's boat.

"Something tells me your buddies aren't too happy about your giving us parole," Sean dryly remarked.

"Hang on and keep your heads down," Eril ordered.

"What do you think we've been doing the last five minutes?!" Kim demanded. Eril didn't answer, he simply began hitting the buttons to send the boat spinning about the waterway. He swiftly steered the boat toward a smaller waterway to the right. It was much tighter than the one they had just been on, the pursuing boats forced to enter one at a time. On the one hand, it meant there was only one boat able to fire at Eril. On the other, there wasn't a lot of room to maneuver which was why Eril was trying to put as much distance as possible between him and his pursuers.

Looking over his shoulder, Eril could see the pursuing boat preparing to fire. "Hang on," he ordered as he sent the boat slamming to the left. One ski hit the side of the wall and raked upward, tilting the boat to the right. Kim and Sean let out a yell as they tumbled to the side, trying to keep themselves from falling out as the boat tilted. A blast of energy ripped only inches away, firing down the waterway before their boat, impacting against a small metal tower on the side. The tower collapsed forward, slamming into the waterway in front of Eril's boat.

Eril had always prided himself as a man capable of swift decision-making, particularly in times of stress. That ability came to the forefront. With only a few seconds to act, Eril's hands flew over the console. The boat righted itself, then settled back, the engines lowering toward the water. As the fallen tower came closer, Eril hit the engines and even with the field at his feet, he nearly flew backward as the skids of the boat hit the upturned side of the tower and shot upward.

Kim and Sean yelled yet again as the boat flew for several feet before smacking down into the water, spinning for a bit before Eril could set it back on course. The first pursuer tried to duplicate the feat. Unfortunately, the added weight of the soldiers inside kept it from achieving the same altitude. The boat tipped over, scattering soldiers in the water as it smacked upside down into the passage. The following boats, who had been unable to see what was going on, had no time to prepare themselves. The massive explosion that echoed behind Eril's boat led the passengers know what had happened.

Eril's face was slightly drawn. Kim and Sean could both see that taking out some of his fellow soldiers wasn't easy for him, even if they were trying to kill him at the time. "We're almost safe," he calmly told the two officers. "One more turn and------"

He stopped as the boat swung toward the waterway he had been aiming for. Blocking his path were a half-dozen boats, cannons primed and ready. With only the barest of pauses, Eril sent the boat rocketing straight ahead, pouring on the speed. "How do you know there won't be guys down here?" Kim asked.

"I know." Something in the way he said it made Kim and Sean decide they wanted to know just what was coming. They managed to crawl up to the front of the boat and peek their heads up. Their eyes widened as they saw a waterfall dead ahead of them, the edge coming closer by the second.

"I'd recommend taking a breath," Eril said just as the boat shot over the edge of the waterfall and toward the churning water three hundred feet below.

*****

The Nuelian Forests

What struck Maximus the most upon seeing the home of the Peritusans was how familiar it was. Having traveled the world quite a bit during his 2000 years, the Roman had seen several forest-set colonies and villages and could see some similarities in the way the village was set up.

The main bulk of cottages, huts and other structures were interwoven into the massive trees. The bridges and stairways had been actually carved into the trees, creating an interesting natural appearance that enhanced the qualities of the area. Bridges of both suspension and straight type crisscrossed to allow easy access to the various areas and somewhat primitive but efficient pulley elevators allowed the inhabitants to reach the ground.

At the very top of the center tree of the area was the Grand Hall. In actuality, the Hall area spread out over four treetops, so close together they seemed to be one giant trunk. The Hall appeared to have been grown more than built, the massive circular seating area reminding Maximus a great deal of the Coliseum. The center was a raised platform for meetings and religious ceremonies, catching both moon and sun perfectly.

Maximus could see the Great Hall from his place. It was one of the largest of the personal huts, set up for the ruler of the tribe, who, in this case, was Dullrena. It was opulent by the standards of the village but Maximus had seen better. The large open chambers with the natural brown roof made Maximus (for some bizarre reason) feel like he had wandered into a home right out of a Tolkien book. He could see various statues and symbols scattered about but what they signified was beyond him. He reached for one, a statue of a warrior holding a speak but an Irish brogue stopped him.

"I wouldn't do that, laddie. Dull doesn't quite like her things being fondled."

"There are quite a few dirty places one can take that line," Maximus replied as he turned toward Liam. The leprechaun lounged lazily in a large chair, unmindful of the pair of spear-holding guards who glared at him. Or, Maximus suspected, he was aware but believed he could take the two apart without much trouble.

"So, you and Robin were here some two thousand years ago and met Dullrena?" he asked.

"Yep, we got here, they got together, it was hot and heavy until she got ready to kill us," Liam replied. "Until recently, that's sort of been the way with Robbie's romances."

"Is she some sort of witch or something?" Maximus asked. "Is that why she looks so young?"

Liam shook his head. "Actually, no. Her race is just extremely long-lived. Truth to tell, when she and Robbie were together, she looked to be in her early twenties. She ages, just at a slower rate than normal Earthlings."

Maximus stroke his chin. "Do you think they'll help us? This tribe, I mean."

"Tough to say," Liam admitted. "The Peritusans have always been pretty closed-off, kept to themselves a lot. No telling what side they'll fall on when the shit goes down. Never underestimate Robbie's conversational skills, though. I'm pretty sure he can get her to at least listen to a pitch."

"It would probably take time," Maximus observed.

"Hope it's soon," Liam remarked. "The others are going to need all the help they can get. They're out of their element here."

Maximus looked toward the closed door that led to Dullrena's private chambers. "Just what do you suppose they're talking about?" He sniffed. "At least I'm hoping it's just talking."

"Oh, no worries on that score," Liam adamantly stated. "Robbie's got someone he loves way too much to let himself slide back with some old flame. Not to mention one who tried to burn him alive."

"Always nice to have someone to love," Maximus muttered under his breath. "I haven't let myself do that since..." His voice trailed off. As much as Liam was starting to grow on him (up to a reasonable point, of course), he still didn't feel comfortable discussing his past history with him.

Liam knew, however. "Been a long time but it still hurts, doesn't it?"

Maximus looked at him. Something in the way he spoke let Maximus know he was listening to someone who knew that pain. "How long?" he asked.

Liam tried to put on a show of not being in pain at the remembrance, a show that didn't fool the Roman for a moment. "Little over 800 years. She died...badly."

"So did mine," Maximus stated. "And my son."

"That's a pain I know too." At Maximus' look of surprise, Liam shrugged. "Ye live a few thousand years and be married to nearly 250 women, ye've gotta drop a litter somewhere."

Maximus looked away. "It's hard."

"I know," Liam told him. "Always comparing other women to her, even if you don't want to. The little things, like a name or a place or even a scent that bring the memories rushing back to you. Visiting her grave every year and wondering why her and not you. I know it, laddie. I know it all."

Maximus fixed him with a sad look. "Does it get any easier? Over time?"

Liam stared at him. "I'll let you know when I figure it out."

A silence fell, both men realizing there really wasn't much to say at that moment.

*****

The chamber was just as Robin remembered it. The large and soft hammock set along one wall, the small shrine area in one corner, the rock-like tub in the other, the raised platform and the large circular bed set on it. And, just as he remembered, Dullrena's naked body was pure perfection. Despite the years she'd put on, she was more beautiful than ever with her full breasts, soft curves and unblemished skin. Robin took that all in with just a brief glance before averting his eyes.

"Really, Goodfellow," Dullrena said in a mocking tone. "It's nothing you haven't seen before." She smirked as she turned toward her closet and rummaged about. "I know you've been remembering it more than once."

"Not for a long time, Dull," Robin said, fighting the urge to glance at that tempting backside. He closed his eyes and brought up an image of another beautiful form he knew quite well. *Thanks, Amy.*

Opening his eyes, Robin turned to see Dullrena now dressed in a long and flowing silver robe, tied loosely so a severe dip in her cleavage could still be seen. "You know," she said in that same mocking tone. "There are many a male who would gladly give their lives in order to see what you just saw."

"Whoop-de-shit," Robin sniffed. "I'm not here to talk over old times, Dull. We need some help."

Dullrena rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to help you, Robin. We keep our peace on our own, without the help of those lesser tribes."

"Funny," Robin remarked. "As far as the Lizardon and the Grantons are concerned, you're the lesser tribe."

A flash of anger went through Dullrena's eyes. "Remember where you are, Goodfellow," she hissed. "Keep a cordial tongue. If you can."

"I'm not exactly crazy about being back in your homestead either, Dullrena," Robin replied. "I've got someone waiting for me back home."

"Ah, your latest conquest?" Dullrena needled. "What makes her different than me?"

"She's an Amazon witch, she's a teenager, she's got a good head on her shoulders and one more thing."

"Really?" Dullrena appeared to be highly amused. "And what would that be?"

"I love her."

For the first time, Dullrena's cool and arrogant attitude appeared to fade, her face actually seeming to show concern. "And..." she softly said. "And you did not for me?"

Robin rolled his eyes. "Come on, Dullrena, we both knew it was just a brief fling. Contrary to what you may think, you are not God's gift to the male species of the universe."

Dullrena turned, trying to hide the slight hurt on her face as she wrapped her robe tighter around herself. "Well, regardless of your current paramour," she began in a tighter voice than before. "I am still not inclined to give you any help. We are not one for sticking our necks out, Robin. We will not be giving any aid to you or your friends. No one will simply walk into here and---"

A fist knocked hard against the door as both Dullrena and Robin started. "Enter," Dullrena commanded. The door slid open to reveal one of her guards, his face concerned. "We have intruders," he stated. "And they have one of ours with them, wounded."

"Guess it's time to set up a visitor's center, Dull," Robin couldn't help remarking.

*****

The elevator system was quite faster than Maximus had expected. In only minutes, he, Robin, Liam, Dullrena and a trio of guards were on the ground and marching toward the edge of the village. "Where did they come from?" Dullrena hissed.

"They came from the Northern end of the Forest," one of her guards replied. "We found them with one of the young ones. She was badly wounded."

"The Lizardon, no doubt," Dullrena hissed. "Damn them. If they continue to press on our borders like this..."

"Fahn is squeezing them out of their own territory," the guard pointed out. "They need to go somewhere."

"I don't care," Dullrena bit back. "I won't have this, not one bit."

Liam leaned in toward Robin. "I wonder if her species has permanent PMS."

Ignoring the comment, Robin turned toward Maximus. "What do you think? Some of Fahn's guys decided to show up and attack us?"

Maximus didn't answer. He simply smiled as a familiar feeling came over him. "That," he said, his eyes twinkling. "Or the kids are a little more capable than your friend gave them credit for."

Robin and Liam both frowned until they caught sight of the intruders. "I should have known," Liam muttered. "Ye can't take a British Immortal anywhere without problems."

"Don't start," Robin said. He looked back over toward where Elizabeth, Mel, Tarring, Marybeth and Lucy stood. Lying on a makeshift carrier was their "patient," the young warrior still looking quite pale. A makeshift tourniquet was tied around her mid-section in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Dullrena stared at her, then up at the newcomers. "Which of you did this?" she demanded.

"We didn't hurt her," Lucy said. "We found her like this."

"I meant which of you dared treat her wounds without another of my people present?" Dullrena's eyes blazed with fire while her voice was ice cold.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "We didn't exactly have time to look for one of your people," she barked out. "I was trying to save that girl's life."

"What gave you that right?" Dullrena demanded.

Elizabeth's nostrils flared. "I am a doctor," she hissed. "A healer. It was my duty to help this girl."

Dullrena looked over them, then over to Robin. "I'm assuming they're with you?"

"Please, don't lump us with him," Marybeth said in a half-begging tone.

Dullrena looked back at them, glaring at the group. "We do not accept outsiders here," she bit out.

"Hey, watch it lady!" Lucy yelled. She hiked a thumb over at Mel. "This happens to be the rightful king of the place!"

"Oh, God..." Mel groaned as he put a hand over his eyes. Dullrena stared at Lucy in confusion, then at Mel. She peered closely at him, tilting her head to the side as she studied his features. "That face," she whispered. "Familiar somehow...Much like..." Her eyes shot wide open. "Like his father," she said, her voice lined with shock.

She looked back at Robin, who nodded in confirmation. She then spun back, marched forward and yanked Mel up by the front of his shirt. "You dare come here?!" she hissed. "Do you have any idea of what horrors Fahn will bestow upon us if he knows you're here? He'll raze the entire forest just to get at you!"

"Well, sorry to inconvenience you," Mel spoke up. "We'll just get going then..."

"You are not leaving," Dullrena broke in. "Fahn's forces may be watching the roads out. If they find you leaving, they'll come after me. I will not jeopardize my people. Not even for you."

"Well," Lucy spoke up. "Nice to see you've got the people behind you, Mel."

"And I wondered why my father couldn't get help," Mel sighed as his homecoming took yet another push in the wrong direction.

*****

The Drazonia Caverns

"How long have we been going down this path?" Katie asked.

"Well, Shirley's moved from Lloyd Webber to Sondheim so it's been a while," Nicky sighed. He looked back at Shirley, who was following the two while humming "Children Will Listen" under her breath. Nicky sighed and rubbed some sweat off his forehead. "God, is it me or has it gotten hotter in here?"

"Hey, you want to take your shirt off, I'm fine with it," Shirley smiled. She turned to Katie and quickly added, "That goes for you too." She threw back her head and started to sing out. "I want to be an airborne Ranger, I want to fly through the sky..."

Nicky stared at her. "You've seen 'The Breakfast Club?'"

"Oh, yeah," Shirley told him. "I loved Ally Sheedy in that."

"Told you," Nicky muttered to his wife.

"I'm in hell, I'm simply in hell," Katie groaned, rubbing her face. She glanced over at Shirley and was surprised to see the woman pulling a large sheet of paper out of her pants pocket and looking down at it. "What is that?"

"Oh, my life insurance policy," Shirley answered her. "I'm just checking over it to see if dying in a cavern on an alien planet is covered."

Nicky stopped and stared at her. "You carry your life insurance policy with you?"

Shirley shrugged as she looked over the paper. "Well, seeing as I have no one in my life really worth a damn to me, I've written that whoever finds my corpse is the beneficiary. Kind of give something back, you know?"

The McDaniels simply stared at her. "You are an incredibly strange woman," Nicky said.

"Thank you," Shirley replied as she folded the paper up and placed it back into her pocket. The trio continued on their way, the dim lighting inside the cavern barely enough to let them see where they were going.

"I'm confused," Shirley suddenly stated.

"What a shock," Nicky muttered.

"Are we still moving down or are we rising?" Shirley went on. "I've sort of lost track with the way the paths have been."

"For once, she's got a point, hon," Katie said. "The terrain's so rocky and the tunnels so dark, it's hard to tell what's uphill or down."

"Just this last corner and I know-----"

"You've said for the last five corners, Nicky," Katie sighed. "I know you usually have a good sense of direction but in a place like this, I think it's gone seriously out of whack."

Nicky sighed as he turned the corner of the tunnel before him. He stopped and then looked back at his wife with a smile. "Maybe not," he said in a much lighter tone. "I see light at the end of the tunnel."

"Well, I'm glad to see you so upbeat," Katie said.

Nicky shook his head and pointed at the cavern before him. "No, no, I mean, I see light at the end of *this* tunnel!" Katie and Shirley exchanged a look, then walked over to where Nicky was. Sure enough, about twenty feet ahead of them was a long tunnel with a light on the other end of it. Katie paused to smell the fresh air wafting down at them. "Oh, thank God, we're almost out!" "Aw, nuts," Shirley suddenly muttered. "I never got to sing 'Hi Ho, Hi Ho!'"

"Oh, good," Katie muttered. "I was near the snapping point already." The trio walked down the tunnel, heading toward the open end. The fresh air was flowing down the tunnel, making them all feel good. They finally reached the end of the tunnel and paused for a breath.

It took a moment for their eyes, after so long in darkness, to adjust to the natural light. They could see that they were standing by the edge of a flowing river with a large forest before them. "Wow," Katie said, sounding impressed. "And I thought Yosemite was something."

"Reminds me of that trip we took to the Pacific Northwest," Nicky said. "The spotted owl trip?"

"Ah, yes," Katie said, smiling at the memory. "That night under the stars. At least it wasn't like that trip to Alaska when we went whale-spotting."

Shirley looked at them in mild surprise. "You two really love animals, don't you?" she said.

Nicky shrugged. "They're better than most people. They don't pollute the land or create weapons of destruction or slaughter each other for no reason. They've been around longer than we have. And I firmly believe they'll be around long after."

"That's the great thing about nature," Katie said. "It's always truthful. People lie. Books can lie. But nature always tells the truth."

"Wow," Shirley said. "That's deep. You ought to send that in to Reader's Digest."

"I will," Katie retorted. "Along with my entry on you for their 'the most unforgettable character I ever met' section."

"Thank you," Shirley beamed.

Before Katie could groan, a loud rumbling sound came from above. As one, the three looked up to see that the rock wall above them climbed for nearly fifty feet. They could also see a shuffling of movement near the top of the wall seconds before several boulders began to fall down toward them.

"Shit!" Nicky yelled as he turned and grabbed Katie. Shirley let out a yelp herself as they tried to back away. Without warning, each felt a large and strong hand grab them and yank them away much faster than they could have run on their own. The three felt themselves shoved down to the ground as a horde of rocks smashed to the ground where they had been standing only moments before. In seconds, tons of rock were sealing off the tunnel they had just exited.

The rumble finally faded and the three humans managed to rise and brush themselves up. They stared at the boulders, realizing the grisly fate they'd just avoided. They then turned to face their rescuers...and even for a trio of people who had seen quite a lot in the last few hours, this was unusual.

Each figure appeared to be about six feet tall, with large builds and muscles. They were hairless, which wasn't surprising considering that their skin appeared to be made out of solid rock. It was mostly a gray color, although a few of them sported brown and even reddish skin. For some odd reason, Katie believed that the darker the skin, the older the being. Each had five fingers that could appear to form a fist the size of a grapefruit. Set bright against the rocky hides were a pair of large white eyes, each one fixed on the three humans.

"Whoa," Shirley whispered. "It's a Thing convention. Man, Marybeth will be sorry she missed this."

Swallowing, Nicky stepped forward to look right at the head of the leader of this odd group. "We come...in peace..." he carefully said. "Peace. We mean you...no harm. We want...to be...friends." He held out his hands and hoped they got his message.

The leader of the group blinked, then opened his mouth and spoke out in a surprisingly clear and concise voice. "If I was incapable in the least of understanding a single word of your language, what gives you the idea that speaking it more slowly will do anything?"

Katie leaned in toward her husband. "I think that translation spell Robin had is still working," she jibed at him.

"So..." Nicky said, trying to get his dignity back. "Who are you?"

"We are called the Granton," the being said. "I am Berok, leader of my tribe. We have been...on the move, as you might say."

"Let me guess," Nicky said dryly. "A certain emperor is putting the squeeze on your people, right?" Berok took a moment to decipher the meaning of that statement and then nodded. "Yes, that is as good a way to put it as any." He looked over at the boulders, then at Nicky. "I believed you and your friends were in need of aid."

"Thanks," Nicky said. "Um, were you just passing by?"

"Actually, they were with me," a more normal-sounding voice spoke up. The Grantons parted to allow Cal to step forward. He had a slight smirk on his face while the skin around one eye appeared to be turning blacker. "How's it hanging, guys?"

"Cal!" Nicky said. "I thought you left!"

"I was on my way when my conscience decided to pay a long overdue visit," Cal sighed.

Nicky smiled. "Just couldn't leave someone to die when you knew you could help, huh?"

"Don't let it get out, kay?" Cal groaned. "I decided to get back with you guys and see if we could figure this out together." He rubbed at his eye. "That was when my face introduced itself to Berok's fist."

"You were fortunate I pulled my blow," Berok said in a flat tone. "Otherwise, I would have caved in your skull."

"Thankfully, it's only these guys' skins that are thick," Cal said. "Once I woke up and explained what was going on, they were willing to help." He hiked a thumb back at the caves. "They've been stuck down in those caverns for years, know all the roads backward and forward. All the while, they've been looked down on and ignored by the rest of society." He sniffed. "Even here, they've got ghettos."

"Okay, let's not start that," Nicky quickly stated. He looked up at Berok. "Well, thank you very much for your help." He bit his lip. "Are you going to help us out anymore?"

Bekor paused, looking over the river and toward the forest ahead. He let out a rumbling sound that was apparently a sigh. "There is one place we may be able to go for sanctuary," he stated. "But I cannot promise you will receive a warm welcome."

"Gee, that would be such a switch today," Katie muttered under her breath.

Cal slapped his hands together. "Well, if we've got places to go, let's get going, then. Wanna lead the way, Bek?"

"As you wish, Nicky."

Cal shook his head. "No, no, I'm Cal."

Bekor looked him over before doing the equivalent of an eyebrow raising. "Oh. I'm sorry. You people all look alike to me."

Cal threw his hands up and yelled at the sky. "Great, even *here* I get it!"

*****

The Nuelian Forests

Lucy sighed as she stepped out onto the large wooden balcony. After quite a bit of arguing, Dullrena had finally (reluctantly) consented to allowing the new arrivals to stay on. They had been given an empty hut on one end of the village, with a rather impressive view of the forest. It was a view Lucy wasn't really appreciating.

She gasped and felt at her head as she once again felt the Buzz strike her. "God, does that ever stop?"

"I'm afraid not," a deep male voice answered her. She turned to see Maximus standing behind her, Elizabeth by his side. "But if you live long enough, you'll discover there are many levels of pain that you have to live with."

Lucy stared at him. "What kind of masochist would count how many levels of pain----"

"Six hundred and forty-two at last count."

"Ask and answered," Lucy sighed. She crossed her arms and paced away from the walkway, toward the hut. "Nice place," she remarked off-handedly. "It's a shame this Fahn guy wants to destroy it."

"That's the way dictators are," Elizabeth sighed. "I should know, I'm used to dealing with power-mad people."

"From two hundred years of Immortality?"

"No, from two years of working with Weaver and Romano."

"Good point," Lucy agreed. She shook her head as she faced her fellow doctor. "So, what are we supposed to do?"

Elizabeth glanced around as she rubbed at her chin. "I'm hoping there's a quiet place around here where I can start on the basics of dueling..."

Lucy quickly shook her head. "Elizabeth, I don't know if training me in the Game is really important right now."

"It is important, Lucy," the Briton said. "Even in light of..." She paused, trying to figure out how to explain this.

"In light of what?" Lucy asked, frowning.

Maximus cleared his throat before speaking. "There has been some...evidence recently discovered that indicates that the Game...may have been a fraud."

Lucy stared at him. "Excuse me?"

Elizabeth looked at Maximus and nodded. "You got the videotape too, then?"

"I did," the Roman told her. "I believe it."

"So do I," Elizabeth said. "As much as I hated to, it makes a lot of sense. And that scroll explains things as well."

"Excuse me?" Lucy spoke up. "Can you explain that a little further?"

As the two did, they were unaware of the eyes watching them from a hut on a neighboring tree, secretly taking in the conversation.

<What do ye know? They really do spread it about.>

<It's like I told you when we thought it up, Liam. They'll believe it. They'll believe it because they *want* to believe it.>

*****

Lucy stared at the two older Immortals, taking in what she had just heard. "My god," she whispered. She closed her eyes and rubbed at her face. "Are you telling me that this...Game isn't even real? That there's no point to it all?"

"Yes, we're not that happy with it ourselves," Elizabeth sighed. "Finding out that all those deaths are one big waste..." Her face darkened. "That one of the finest men who ever lived was killed for nothing in his own church..."

Seeing Elizabeth lost to her own memories, Maximus quickly stepped in. "Lucy, while it's true that there may be no Game, you still need to know how to fight. There may still be some Immortals who want to fight no matter what, whether it's because they don't want to believe in the Scroll or because they simply don't know any other way to live..."

"Or, God help us, because they like it," Elizabeth threw in, more composed. "The fanatics."

"I thought you'd have to be a fanatic to do this," Lucy snapped.

"It helps," Elizabeth admitted. She glanced over at Maximus. "Did you ever want the Prize?"

Maximus shook his head. "Not once. Not if it meant having to slaughter to get it."

"Me neither," the Englishwoman replied. "I often feared that the one who got it would be the wrong person. Because that's the only one who could win something like this."

<If I ever had any doubts over what we've done> Robin said to Liam. <That killed them.>

Maximus nodded. "Whatever the reasons, you have to learn, Lucy. You'll need that when we get back."

"If we get back," Lucy sighed.

"My reputation notwithstanding, I prefer being a bit more optimistic," Maximus said. "We will get back. Believe in that and it will be so." He nodded at Lucy and then began to walk off. Elizabeth and Lucy watched him go before facing one another.

"Interesting man," Elizabeth said. "I don't think I've felt so frightened by someone since I met the young Brando."

Lucy was silent for a long moment, looking down at her feet before finding the words she wanted to say. "Um...I didn't get the chance to tell you but...that was good work you did out there. Helping that girl, I mean. It was...well, it was impressive given the little we had to work with."

Elizabeth gave her a gentle smile. "I suppose that's one reason I'm such a good surgeon. I was performing operations before anastethic, blood packs and most surgical devices were even invented. I've done field surgery before. This was no different." She paused and thought about it. "Well, aside from seeing a liver that was bright green..."

Lucy bit her lip as she gathered herself up. "Elizabeth. I'm sorry for what I said before. About you being a killer and that you might actually like having to do it. You're a good doctor, Elizabeth. You can't be a good doctor unless you care about other people's lives."

"I think Romano may be an exception to that rule," Elizabeth joked. She sobered before speaking again. "Mortals die, Lucy. That's something you're going to have to learn very quickly. In the end, they all die while we keep going. But that doesn't mean their lives are meaningless, far from it. If we can help keep those lives going as long as possible...It will make what time they have all the more meaningful."

"Wow," Lucy said, thrown by the deep meaning in Elizabeth's words. "I didn't think of it like that."

Elizabeth moved forward and put a reassuring arm on Lucy's shoulder. "It's not easy becoming Immortal, Lucy," she said. "I've killed people. Even though they didn't have my best interests in mind at the time, it was still difficult and I've regretted each one. But it's something we've done, something we're trained to do. It's not pretty and it gets uglier as time goes by." She shrugged. "But no one ever said life had no drawbacks."

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "You call having to take someone's head a drawback?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Elizabeth answered.

"Talk about high standards," Lucy muttered. She paused and then looked up at Elizabeth. "Say, wait..." she muttered as a thought struck her. "Don't you have any money with being alive so long?"

"Oh, yes," Elizabeth answered. "I have a couple of million in a Swiss bank account. Many of the older Immortals do."

Lucy's eyes bulged. "You're a millionaire?" she shrieked. "Why the hell are you working for lousy pay at the ER?"

Elizabeth fixed her with a warm gaze. "Because no amount of money in the world can equal the joy there is in saving a life." She shrugged. "Call it atonement, I suppose. My small attempt to make up for the lives I've taken or I've seen pass by me. You'll understand that in time."

"I will?" Lucy asked, unsure.

"Lucy, why did you become a doctor?"

"To help people."

"Then I need not go any further."

Lucy paused to absorb that. "I'm never getting used to this..."

"I know," Elizabeth answered. "And this entire situation doesn't help at all, either." She gave Lucy a strong squeeze. "But I know you can get through this, Lucy. And, as hard as it may sound, after a few decades, you can be a doctor again."

Lucy brightened. "Wow, that does sound good. I can study, see what new stuff comes around and work it in."

"That's right," Elizabeth said. She frowned. "Of course, you'd have to do residency all over again."

"Oh, God, anything but that..."

*****

As he paced into the hut, Maximus looked over at Bernard. The priest was sitting in a makeshift chair, his hands drawn together as he appeared to be whispering under his breath. "Are you sure anyone can hear you?"

Tarring looked up at him. "He always can."

Maximus sighed and began to walk away again. "Bernard, I really could do without your philosophy right now."

"It's not philosophy, Maximus, it's faith," the priest answered. "You always need that, no matter what the situation."

"I don't think even I've ever had a situation like this, Bernard," Maximus sighed. "I'm usually quick to plan things out but this...I honestly don't know what kind of plan to create here, Bernard. And that's not something I like."

Tarring studied him carefully, knowing there was more that Maximus wasn't telling him. "Is that all, Maximus?"

Maximus was quiet and his fingers twitched toward where the hilt of his sword would be. "The way I tore into those Lizardon..." he began.

"They attacked us, Maximus," Tarring pointed out. "They forced the fight."

"Oh, I have no problems with that," the Immortal told him. "It's just that...that was a side to myself I didn't want to let loose again, Bernard. A side I thought I had buried."

Tarring sighed. "Max, we've been friends for a long time, before you trusted me with your secret. I've gotten to know you and I know one thing about your nature. As much as you might say otherwise, you were made to be a soldier, a fighter, a warrior." Tarring shrugged. "Just try to see it as part of God's plan, Maximus."

The Immortal snorted. "Don't talk to me about God's plan, Bernard. I saw God's plan when he took my wife and son away from me."

"An act which triggered a chain of events that led to you bringing justice to Rome," Tarring pointed out. "It all fits, Maximus, whether you want it to or not."

Maximus was silent for a long moment before he continued to march through and out the other end of the hut. Tarring watched him go and sadly shook his head. "Now that's a man who could use all the help you can give him, Lord," he whispered. He frowned. "Of course, that goes for all of us here."

"Hey, padre." Tarring looked up to see Robin and Liam in the doorway. "Your wouldn't happen to know where Marybeth is, do you?" Robin asked.

"I believe she headed down to the ground," Tarring said. "Apparently, she wants to see just how different the stars are here."

"Well, what do ye know," Liam remarked. "For her, having stars in her eyes is really a sign that she's mentally alert."

Robin looked at him strangely. "That was a bit weak."

"I'm saving me best for when things get nasty. A few clever quips always keep a battle at a brisk pace."

Robin thought about it and then nodded in agreement as he and Liam walked away. Tarring stared after them for a minute before raising his head upward. "Lord," he softly said. "I know you have a divine plan in mind for all things. Forgive me for asking...but just what part do those two play in it?"

*****

Maximus exited the hut and paused at the figure sitting on the edge of the wooden walkway, his legs dangling over the side as he stared at no point in particular. "I hope you're not planning on jumping."

"It had occurred to me," Mel said. "Although Marybeth could probably tell me that it wouldn't be the best plan."

"The girl is wise beyond her years," Maximus observed as he stood by the young man. A long silence came between them before Mel spoke.

"I never really thought about it," he said. "All of this, I mean. I knew what was going on, that Fahn had killed my parents and taken over, become a dictator but...but I never really gave it much thought. I know it must sound bad, that I didn't care about what happened to my own world but...I just didn't want to face up to it, I guess."

"Face up to what?" Maximus asked, although he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

Mel turned to face him. "There I am," he said in a quiet voice. "A teenager who's lived as normal a life as humanly possible, with great parents, good friends and everything I could ask for. Then, I find out I'm the prince of a planet no one's ever heard of and it's up to me to try and save it." He fell silent again and Maximus simply waited for him to go on.

"It's strange," Mel finally said, staring off into the sky. "I know the names of my ancestors dating back centuries. I know each prayer for each of the Holy Days and how to honor the Great One. I know the events from the founding of Varran to the Mynera War. But it's like fiction, like a story. I don't really *feel* it." He looked up at Maximus. "How am I supposed to fight for a planet I don't even feel for?"

Maximus carefully stepped up, staring up at the sky himself before answering. "You have to find something here worth fighting for. Something that you believe in. Something that can help you reach your destiny."

"I don't want this destiny," Mel barked as he rose to his feet. He paced for a bit before facing Maximus. "Listen..." He stopped and frowned. "Um, what do I call you? General? Mr. Meridas?"

"Maximus is fine," the Immortal told him. He studied Mel for a moment before letting out a light smile. "It's ironic in a way. You want nothing to do with ruling a world. I wanted the same when Marcus Auerilus offered it to me. Only I found myself pushed into fighting for Rome's future all the same."

"You were a ruler?"

"In a way, I ruled Rome through the army," Maximus said. "Truth to tell, I was never happy with being seen as such a symbol. The Emperor wanted me to become his successor, to rule until power could be given back to the people. I didn't want it." He looked at Mel and raised an eyebrow. "Sound familiar?"

"Yeah," Mel admitted. "But you saw what rule could do to a man."

"I did," Maximus confirmed. "One man cannot hold that much power. Commodus was corrupt already. Taking on the ultimate power of the throne drove him over the edge and stop him, I needed to do what the Emperor would have wanted me to do."

Mel was quiet for a moment. "If he hadn't been killed...If the offer was still there...Would you have taken it?"

"Perhaps," Maximus answered after a pause. He shrugged. "To tell the truth, though, I was always happy simply being a farmer." He saw the look Mel was giving him. "What?"

"I'm sorry," Mel said with a light laugh. "I'm having difficulty picturing you as a farmer."

Maximus snorted. "Dirt washes off much easier than blood, my young friend." He paused and looked him over. "I can't tell you what to do, Mel. That's your decision to make. I will give you some advice. When we defeat Fahn-"

"If we defeat him."

"When we defeat him...I would advise you to create an aid for yourself. Or at least for whoever decides to take over. A man once told me something that I've found to be quite true. There's no sense overthrowing one dictator if you're just going to replace him with another."

Mel raised an eyebrow. "I don't even want the job and you're telling me I'm going to be a tyrant?"

"You wouldn't plan on being one of course," Maximus told him. "But power can effect even the best of men. I've seen it happen enough times in my lifetime. Make sure, when you do leave power for one reason or another, that no one man can hold absolute power. You need to set up a system to pass that power out, prevent any one man from taking control. Set up a council, a congress or something like that, bring checks and balances-----"

"Checks and balances," Mel snorted. "Corday would just hate to hear that."

"Not necessarily," Maximus said. "The British set up Parliament to prevent the tyranny of kings and the Revolutionaries used that as the basis for Congress."

"I'm not trying to create a government," Mel protested. He paused and raised his eyebrows. "Of course, it is tempting to try and fix the Constitution..."

"I'd recommend against that," Maximus said. "If you create one, of course."

Mel frowned. "Why? I can keep it from being so loose and vague on the laws, make it stronger."

"It's because it's so loose and free that it's so strong," Maximus argued. "I knew a few of the founding father, Mel and I can tell you something. Yes, they were influential slave-owners who didn't know much about politics. Maybe they didn't possess what some would term greatness. But they did know the one thing all great men need to know, Mel: That they didn't know everything and couldn't predict exactly what the future would hold. That's why they set up their laws so they could be altered as the country progressed. If they hadn't...slavery might well still be around. They made room for change. Rome didn't. We remained stagnant and fell. America has endured and grown. Draw your own conclusions."

Mel looked at him for a long moment. "You missed your calling," he stated. "Instead of the army, you would have made a hell of a philosopher."

Maximus let out a small smile. "It's seeing the worst in humanity that allows you to make such an excellent study of it."

"Maybe you should have gone into politics."

Maximus shook his head. "No. No, I preferred being a soldier. At least there, you can see your enemy clearly."

*****

For a woman who had such an affinity for the stars, it seemed odd that Marybeth would be on the ground, staring upward. She actually preferred it that way somewhat. It made her feel as grounded as a person could possibly get in a situation like this. She wiped at her glasses before settling them back on her nose. She leaned against a tree and stared upward, trying to make out the sky through the mass of foliage.

"How's it going, kiddo?" Marybeth looked over to see Robin and Liam walking up to her. She managed a small smile as she tried to appear cheery. "Hey, guys. I'm okay, I suppose."

"Aye, this can be a bit of a wild turn," Liam said as he and Robin stood by the teenager. "Are ye sure ye're okay?"

Marybeth sighed. "It...hasn't totally sunk in, I guess," she said. "I've spent years believing in alien life but now that I've seen it..." She shook her head. "And that's on top of everything else you two have been throwing at me. What am I supposed to believe in next, the Loch Ness Monster?"

"Actually, Nessoi's a great guy once you get to know him," Robin said.

"For a Scot, that is," Liam put in.

Marybeth closed her eyes and rubbed at her head. "Note to self," she muttered under her breath. "There is no such thing as a rhetorical question with these two."

Robin chuckled as he patted Marybeth on the arm. "Come on, kid. You're a smart woman, you can get used to things pretty fast. And you can handle them."

"Not like the others can," Marybeth pouted as she kicked at a loose rock. "You know, it really sucks being the kid of the group."

"Ah, come on, lass, don't run yerself down because of that," Liam said. "Ye've got as much as any of the others."

"Oh, come on!" Marybeth protested, holding out her arms. "Look at me! I'm just a dowdy little computer geek!"

"I happen to know a woman who was a dowdy little computer geek," Robin told her. "Now, she's an ass-kicking Amazon witch dating a werewolf."

Marybeth looked at him before shaking her head and throwing up her hands. "I can't talk to you two, I just can't," she muttered as she turned away. A series of raised voices caught her attention and she looked up to see the makeshift elevator lowering itself down to the ground. Dullrena burst out of it, with two of her guards by her side. "Where are they?" she demanded.

"Coming from the east," one man replied. "Our sentries are with them. The Granton are being surprisingly cooperative."

"I don't care if they are," Dullrena hissed. She stopped as she looked over at Robin and Liam. Her eyes narrowed at the duo. "Just how many others did you say were with you when you arrived here?"

"Why?" Robin warily asked.

Before a reply could be given, a loud voice sounded out. "Now THIS is a dress code I could get behind!"

"SHUT UP, SHIRLEY!" Three more voices called out.

"Oh, God," Marybeth groaned. She glanced over at the large group coming through the clearing. Even after all she'd seen, Marybeth started at seeing the Granton, who were throwing looks of suspicion and light malice at the Peruitusans, who answered with matching looks. In the middle of the group was Nicky, Katie, Cal and Shirley, who was studying the warriors with barely disguised lust.

Dullrena marched forward, her face showing she wasn't at all pleased by this development. "Who are you?" she demanded. "From the beginning."

"The beginning?" Shirley piped up. "Well, I was born on a cold rainy night in April to then loving parents. The first thing I remember seeing upon opening my eyes------"

"Hold," Dullrena cut her off. She peered at Shirley closely. "Are you a storyteller?"

"Oh, I could tell you such stories-----"

"NO!" Nicky, Katie and Cal yelled. Dullrena glanced at them, then back to Shirley, who was giving her a very appraising look. "Nice," the woman said with a grin. "Very nice. I can see why you're in charge, who wouldn't want a lady who makes Xena look bad bossing them arouuulllllp!" The last outburst was due to Dullrena leaping forward, wrapping a hand around Shirley's throat and lifting her off her feet.

Dullrena pulled Shirley in, one hand clenched around her throat, the other at the side of Shirley's head, letting the woman know that only a swift twist would be necessary to break her neck. Her eyes lit with anger, Dullrena hissed into Shirley's face. "I am not Xena, you miserable spawn of a ferkike! I am not her, I never liked her and you will never address me as her ever again, do you understand me?!"

"Man, this is one cold-hearted, too-serious, fun-needing bitch!" Cal remarked. "What is *her* problem?"

"She used to date Robin," Marybeth informed him.

"That explains so much," Katie muttered.

Shirley was silent for a long moment, digesting all that Dullrena had just said. "You know..." she finally choked out. "I'm feeling very aroused right now."

Disgusted, Dullrena let Shirley drop to her the ground. She turned toward the others and crossed her arms. "I am assuming you will be wanting protection and sanctuary."

"We will," Bekor spoke up.

Dullrena fixed him with a glare. "I will allow you to stay on our lands. But you will be confined to the ground and no further. If you stray...you will die."

"Gee, the Granton, the Peurtitians, Dullrena, a bunch of humans, us and Fahn's searching for us all," Liam muttered. "Gee, what could possibly go wrong?"

"Liam..."

"I'm being sarcastic, Rob, it won't count."

*****

Part ten: In which a smackdown is held.

Summers Residence
Sunnydale, CA
May 25th, 1999 - 2002 Hours PST

Steven St. Wolf was focused completely on Zev Mundac. His eyes were fixed on the other man, his body tensed in anticipation of his move, his every sense on high alert and prepared for anything Zev might dish out.

So Steve had a hard time later on figuring out how, in the space of an eye blink, Zev was before him, smashing a palm into his chest.

Steve gasped as he fell back. As he did, Zev grabbed one of his legs. He placed a palm just above the knee while his other hand gripped Steve's foot. A shove with each hand and a loud cracking sound went out as Steve's knee shattered.

Zev was already moving, spinning around and lashing out with a foot. It connected with Buffy's jaw, a sound like a cork popping going out as the Slayer fell back, landing hard on the floor.

Even as he moved, Zev's mind was a whirl. *Leader's taken out, along with his second. Assess the next major threat.* His eyes fixed on Amy, Jenny and Willow. *Psykonetic abilities? Cybernetic aids? No matter, they're too long-range to be allowed to attack much longer.* He shifted himself forward, moving right toward the witches with incredible speed. He was up against superior numbers in a closed environment, never a good combination. However, Zev did have two things going for him. First, he was an expert in fighting styles these Terrans had never even heard of. And second...well, he was him.

Jenny was the first to react to his attack, throwing up her hands in an attempt to stave off the kick Zev lashed out at her. She winced in pain at the force of his foot smacking into her hands but before she could try and grab it, he was already pulling it away. Amy and Willow immediately tried to attack him from opposite sides but Zev's speed was greater than they had imagined. He grabbed each by the forearm, yanking them in close. Before Willow or Amy knew what was happening, Zev's hands went to just underneath their necks, his fingers splayed outward, middle and index placed together. He pressed down, touching the right nerve centers exactly. Both Willow and Amy started, their eyes going wide, then closing as they slumped unconscious to the ground.

"Whoa," Xander said. "Insert your own Vulcan neck pinch joke here."

Seeing her two fellow witches go down infuriated Jenny and she lunged forward, throwing a fist at Zev. He caught it and yanked her in, launching a kick that smashed into her midsection. Jenny gasped as she felt the wind being knocked out of her. Zev snapped his leg up, striking Jenny in the chin and sending her slumping against a wall.

A loud growl filled Zev's ears and he turned in time to see Giles coming at him. The Ripper was in full control as he managed to hit Zev in the jaw with a fist, knocking him back. *Damn, the man's stronger than he looks.* Zev thought to himself. Giles moved in and once more punched at Zev. This time, the alien caught the fist in one hand while his other lashed out with a trio of blows to Giles' midsection. *Of course, anger often leads to sloppiness.* He spun around, holding Giles' arm over his shoulder while, in a single move, lashing an elbow into Giles' chest and a backhand to his face, sending him down. Seeing an opportunity, Larry and Randi rushed in from either side. Zev ducked under Larry's arm and lashed an elbow into the football player's side. The beefy young man winced but didn't go down, attempting an elbow of his own at Zev. The alien caught it, his hand placed underneath Larry's elbow as he pushed upward, throwing him off-balance. At the same time, Zev lashed out a leg to knock back at Randi's arm. With amazing dexterity, his leg wrapped around her arm, foot locking behind Randi's elbow. Yanking won both ends of his body Zev threw her over and sent her smashing into Larry, knocking them both down.

Giles immediately moved back in, leaping over the two teens and launching a kick at Zev. He dodged it and spun about, letting his palm smack into Giles' chest, following it up with a quick jab to his chin and a chop to his neck. Giles gasped as he felt his legs suddenly give way as if the nerves had been severed.

Zev turned away to see who was next and saw Xander and Cordelia move up. "Oh, please," he muttered. "The best you two could possibly hope for is to merit my full attention."

"Nice," Cordelia sniffed. "I can't believe Joyce actually thought you were a good guy."

"Appearances can be deceiving," Zev remarked. He looked over the two and smirked. "Then again, since the two of you look like fools, you'd be an exception."

"Watch it pal," Cordelia barked. "We're already in a foul mood. We lost our place at the Motor Lodge."

Zev sniffed. "That establishment? Please. I couldn't believe how much the manager charged me in order to get this room someone actually had reserved."

Xander and Cordelia looked at each other, then at Zev, their faces filled with anger. "Oh, you're going down for that, buddy," Cordelia snarled as she threw a kick at Zev's face. He dropped backward to avoid it but it set him up for Xander's kick to hit him in the midsection, followed by a quick blow to his leg. Zev grunted as he fell to one knee, just able to block the kicks the two threw at him. He fell, his back on the floor and spun his legs out, rather enjoying the feeling as his feet smacked into Xander and Cordelia's legs, causing them to both yelp in pain.

Balancing back on his hands, Zev leaped back up to his feet and was just in time to catch the punch Randi threw at him. Randi tried to press the advantage with another punch but Zev caught it, cris-crossing his hands, the flat of the palms on either side or Randi's arm. A hard press with each palm and Zev was rewarded with a snapping sound as Randi's arm broke in at least three places. As she yelled in pain, Zev smashed a kick into her face, knocking her down.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zev saw Larry charging at him. *The large ones always charge. Nice to see there are universal constants.* He reached out to grab Larry by the front of his shirt and twisted his body as he pulled, using Larry's own momentum to send the football player flying to the ground. Zev dropped into a roll, coming up to smash an elbow into Larry's sternum, then smashed a fist into his face.

A loud yell filled his ears and Zev twisted his body to avoid Cordelia's foot smashing into the floor where his head had been. He flipped himself up, his feet lashing out, both smashing into Cordelia's midsection, sending her back with a gasp. Zev was turning as Xander threw a kick at his head but he ended up rolling with the blow and using the momentum to throw a wicked backhand at Xander's head. The young man also rolled with the blow and threw a spin kick at Zev. The alien caught his foot, one hand gripping Xander hard by the ankle. Without even looking, he held out an arm to catch Cordelia's leg as she kicked at him. As the two felt themselves pulled off-balance, Zev couldn't help but smile. "With you two, this should hardly even hurt," he stated as he pulled them both in toward each other. In one swift move, he let go of their legs and grabbed them by their shoulders, smashing their heads together.

As the two crumbled to the floor, Zev turned to meet his next two challenges. Faith and Kendra were moving in, both in fighting mode. Faith had a smirk on her face as she cracked her knuckles. "Okay, buddy boy," she announced. "Let's see how you handle the Slayer tag team."

"Both at once," Zev nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"Ooh, feisty," Faith cooed. "My kind of guy."

"Don't honor yourself," Zev said as he folded his hands before, fingers pointing inward, an apparent fighting pose. "You two can't hope to keep up with me."

Kendra raised an eyebrow. "Do you mean in fighting or...?"

Zev sniffed. "You *really* couldn't handle me there."

"Tell ya what," Faith said. "When we beat you, we can test the theory ourselves!"

"FAITH!"

"Aw, come on, Kend," Faith replied, turning toward the dark-skinned Slayer. "You know that-----"

The girl was good, Zev had to give her that. In the blink of an eye, she'd spun away from Kendra and launched a kick at his face. Zev blocked it and then quickly moved his hands to block the punch Kendra was attempting to throw. He was soon backing up into the foyer, blocking the punches and kicks each woman was throwing at him. He felt, more than saw, someone coming near and launched his fist out to smack into Buffy's face, sending the third Slayer back down to the floor. *I do hope this planet has decent cosmetic surgeons* he thought as he ducked a blow sent by Kendra. He shoved forward, his shoulder hitting her in the chest and lifting her up. As he did, he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding in tight as he ran Kendra's back into the nearest wall. He let go of one hand to hit the palm into the side of her head, stunning the Jamaican.

Zev dropped Kendra and turned around to where Faith stood. The Boston-bred Slayer hauled back with one leg and thrust it forward and up, the boot slamming into Zev's crotch so hard it actually lifted him off his feet. Faith smirked...

And then stopped, her face dizzolving into shock as Zev, without so much as a wince, looked down at himself, then back up at her. He seemed more puzzled than anything else as he asked her, "Was that supposed to accomplish something?"

The fact that Zev wasn't showing any reaction whatsoever to what should have been a devastating blow, more than anything, sunk into Faith the utter...alien nature of the man. It threw her enough for Zev to rush forward and nail her in the face with two punches and then a kick to send her to the ground.

"Ahem." Zev turned around to see the one person he had yet to fight. Shaw had her arms behind the back, seeming to fiddle with something in her hands. "Very good," she stated. "Very good indeed."

"Nice to meet someone who appreciates excellence," Zev remarked. He took in Shaw, his eyes zeroing in on her body structure. "You're not like them, are you?"

"No," Shaw said, hiding her surprise at his observation. "But I care for them and fight with them."

"A shame," Zev remarked, his fists held up. "I suppose that means you'll have to pay the price with the rest of them."

"I doubt I shall be the one paying," Shaw said as she pulled her hands around. In each flashed a set of large metallic claws which glinted in the light. Zev took them in and raised an eyebrow in surprise and appreciation. "You have good taste."

"I hope you will appreciate that when I slam them down your throat."

"Really?" Zev seemed surprised. "You strike me as a woman more likely to aim for the other orifice."

"I like to do the unexpected," Shaw smiled as she waved her claws.

Zev appraised them carefully. "Yujita," he remarked. "You have met one?"

"I have," Shaw responded. "I even fought one to a standstill."

"Really," Zev stated. "I killed eight of them bare-handed." Shaw started in surprise and Zev immediately moved in, throwing a blow toward her chest. Shaw rolled with it, spinning about and slashing out with her claws. Zev managed to get out of the way of the claws, which slashed at his shirt, leaving a pair of large tears. Shaw continued to turn, lashing at Zev's midsection with a kick that knocked him back.

Shaw moved in, gripping at Zev's arms, her claws working toward his face. "I'm disappointed," she grunted as she pushed the blades toward Zev. "I had hoped this would be more of a challenge."

A sudden pain hit one arm and Shaw leaped back, startled by the sudden sensation. She looked at her left arm and saw a tear in it with blood staining the material. It wasn't a deep cut but the fact it came from nowhere confused Shaw. She looked to Zev...and caught her breath.

Extending from the outside forearm of Zev's right arm were a set of spikes, each about four inches long and appearing quite sharp. There were four in all, lining down from just under his wrist, down the outside of the arm, the fourth extending from his skin right above the elbow. As Shaw watched, four more spikes erupted from the inside of his arm. Zev held out his left arm and eight spikes popped out from it. He cris-crossed his arms before him, the spikes flashing a bit under the lights. "What's that saying you have on this planet?" he dryly remarked. "Something about being careful what you wish for?"

He uncrossed his arms and moved in, his arms flashing about as he attacked Shaw. She quickly attempted to bring her arms up to defend herself, barely able to keep up with Zev's speed. Good as Shaw was, four claws against sixteen wasn't much of a contest. Zev worked the outside of his forearms so his spikes interlaced with Shaw's claws. He brought his arms outward, spreading hers apart and lashed out with a kick so powerful, it sent Shaw flying back with her claws still hooked onto Zev's spikes.

Without pausing, Zev turned and, with a quick twist of each arm, sent the Yujata claws flying back into the living room where Giles and Larry barely ducked the oncoming projectiles. They embedded themselves into the wall above Jenny, who was kneeling on the ground trying to revive Willow and Amy. Zev dashed forward, slicing outward with his hands, the two men dodging the spikes while trying to attack Zev. The alien kicked Larry in the chest, then swung out an arm at Giles. The Briton fell back, which left him exposed to a kick to the lower abdomen that knocked the wind out of him.

Zev's ears tricked up as he heard the sound of metal whistling through air. He ducked and turned and thus avoided the slash of Steve's sword flying above him. Zev rose in time to see Buffy's sword coming at him and held up his arm. He winced at the feeling as the blade met his spikes but still managed to block that blow, as well as the one Steve was attempting.

Zev didn't bother wasting time trying to figure out how Steve and Buffy could both be back to fighting shape when he had broken the former's kneecap and shattered the latter's jaw. Instead, he backed up into the foyer once more, his arms moving swiftly to block the attempted blows by the two Immortals. The sound of metal hitting whatever Zev's spikes were made out of echoed throughout the house as the alien found himself being forced back.

Randi decided to get back into things and rushed forward, her own sword flashing outward. The others stood by and watched in amazement at the sight of Zev, spikes on his arms, blocking the lunges and slashes by the three Immortals. They could at least take satisfaction in how Zev seemed to wince as sparks flew out from the clashes.

Steve swung his blade in a downward arc, Zev barely able to bring his claws up in time to block it. He yelled with pain as two of his spikes broke apart under the swing. He was still able to block a swing from Buffy, but lost another spike in the process. "All right, he's hurting!" Buffy grinned. "Let's see him ignore it while-----"

Zev suddenly leaped up and hit Buffy with a kick to the face. "I don't ignore pain," he hissed. "I use it for motivation."

He ducked under a swing from Steve and came up with a savage kick to Randi's stomach, knocking her down. "Shit!" she gasped. "Twelve of us, one of him, and he's kicking our asses!"

"It's called skill, my dear," Zev grunted as he made his way to the stairs. "Should you reach such an age, gain some." He leapt backward, his feet kicking back at Steve and Buffy, driving them back a bit as he flipped up the stairs. Despite his bravado, Zev knew the odds were against him and that a tactical withdrawal probably wouldn't be such a bad idea right now. He moved quickly and was somewhat surprised that none of the other fighters were following him. *Odd. Either they're more intimidated than I thought or---*

He froze. *Or the fact that girl said there were twelve of them indicates there's someone up here waiting for me.* He turned and sure enough, a figure stepped out from the upstairs bathroom and faced him.

Zev did something most people didn't do when they first saw Oz: He treated the green-haired guitarist as a threat. With all he had seen and done in his long lifetime, if there was one thing Zev knew on sight, it was a predator. And this young man was definitely one.

He was staring at Zev with a hard expression, a bit of fire in his eyes that made Zev feel just a tad uncomfortable. "If you don't stop," Oz said in a flat tone. "I'll hurt you."

Zev narrowed his eyes, still trying to figure out just what it was about this young man that set off the alarms in his head. "Really? Any personal reason or just the overwhelming lust for violence that is so prevalent in your species?"

Oz took a single step forward as he glared at Zev. "My girlfriend was one of the girls you knocked out down there," he said. "I was hoping I'd get a shot at you alone."

Zev backed up, bringing up his arms, his spikes on full display. He had retracted the three that had been broken, which still left him with enough to "Then by all means, boy. Take your best shot." He let out a small smirk. "You only get one."

Oz didn't move, simply staring at Zev and the alien got that uneasy feeling again. He gave the boy another close look, trying to see just what threat he posed...and saw Oz's features begin to shift.

*What in the Nine Pillars-----* Zev's eyes widened as fur sprouted around Oz's body, his face taking on the aspects of an animal and his body began to change. *Oh, frozik.*

Oz's mouth retracted to show his fangs and he let out a low growl at Zev, who was startled at the sudden transformation of the man. With a speed that even Zev wasn't prepared for, Oz lunged forward and hurled himself at the man. Zev automatically backed up, trying to bring his spikes to bear but wasn't fast enough. Oz hit him head-on right in the mid-section, lifting Zev off his feet and sending him crashing through the wood banister. Zev involuntarily yelped as he fell off the landing, sailing down into the foyer and smashing right through the table set along the stair wall.

"Right into the Spanish announcer's table!" Xander announced as the others started to move up.

"Shut up, Xander!" Most everyone replied.

"Oh, like I was the only one thinking that!" Xander defended himself.

"Actually, I was thinking of the Dudley Boyz," Shaw remarked.

Rubbing at her neck, Amy looked toward Willow as Jenny helped the two witches along. "Sometimes she's so Earth woman, it scares me." Willow nodded in agreement, then gasped and held at her neck in pain.

Zev groaned as he tried to rise up. A shadow fell on him and he tensed as he saw Oz leap down from the stairs. The werewolf landed just to the side of Zev, his teeth near the alien's throat, his growl echoing through Zev's ears.

Some more shapes came into focus and Zev was suddenly aware of the trio of swords held above him, the tips inches from his neck. Giles and Jenny approached him from either side, Giles stepping a foot on his left arm, Jenny on his right, holding them down. Zev took a long look around at the group of humans surrounding him then calmly relaxed. While he hated to even give the appearance of giving up, he had to be a realist. His spikes retracted back into his arms, the tears in his shirt showing where they had been.

"All right, pal," Buffy said, rubbing at her jaw. "We've got you."

Zev snorted. "And it only took a dozen of you! Well, color me impressed!"

Faith smirked. "Well, B, K and me were holding back."

Zev smiled. "I'm certain you were." He gasped as Faith lay a kick to his side (seeing as how kicking his crotch didn't seem to do much for some reason).

The Boston-bred Slayer moved down and hissed at Zev. "You messed with our Mom, asshole. WE wanted to chop you into fish bait."

Zev studied her for a long moment. "You know, under different circumstances," he calmly said. "I might get to like you."

"I'll hold my pleasure back," Faith sniffed.

"Well, I'll give him this," Steve said. "He's a good fighter."

"Hey, he oughta be with all that arm-ament."

"Xander!" Cordelia snapped as she smacked him on the head.

"If those two had defeated me, I would have had to commit suicide," Zev muttered. His fells on a new arrival and narrowed in anger. "So, what now, dear sister?"

Roz carefully bent down, her face blank as she gazed at her brother. "Now, we hold you while I gather up the energy I need," she stated. "In just a few hours, dear brother, I'll never have to see your face again."

"Don't be too sure," Zev hissed at her. He tried to rise up but several feet planted on his body prevented that attempt. He lay back, sighing as Steve looked at the others. "Willow, Jenny, Amy, see if you can figure a mystic barrier for him." He sighed. "Preferably one that won't fall apart easily."

"I said I was sorry," Roz sighed. "It won't happen again, I promise."

A loud coughing filled the room and everyone looked up to see Joyce standing before them. Her arms were crossed before her, her eyes hard as she looked around the smashed table, indented wall, broken stairway and then to the group.

"Oh, shit," Faith whispered. "We're in for it now."

Zev looked up at her in amazement. "Excuse me, you have no worries whatsoever about taking me on but the idea of handling her complaints about some damage done to Joyce's house terrifies you? How the hell can you be so much more intimidated by her than by me?!"

"She's a mother."

"Oh." Zev frowned. "Well, you do have a point there..."

*****

Part eleven: In which sanctuary is found, both in location and in emotion.

This chapter is rated NC-17 for sexual content.

Varran

The throne room reflected the rest of the palace: Dark, in color and atmosphere, with weapons and insignias covering the wall that showcased the brutal nature of its emperor.

Fahn himself sat on the throne at the back of the room, the black seat sitting atop a large platform that forced people to look up at him, just the way he preferred it. He sat cross-legged, his gloves hands pursed together as he appeared to be rather nonchalant. His eyes, however, blazed with anger. "You let them go," he said in a low tone. "You let them go."

Standing before him was the unfortunate soul who had the bad luck to have been in charge of the pursuit of Eril, Sean and Kim. His red armor showed a bit of water on it, the result of his boat being dunked in the riverway during the chase. He swallowed and tried to collect himself as he spoke. "Sire, we did our best to give chase but Koeing eluded us. He knows our defenses better than anyone, sire, it should not be surprising that he managed to escape our grasp." He quickly bowed his head.

"I can't believe they could even get away," Fahn remarked. He turned toward Jorbell, who stood nearby, his expression blank. "How could they do this? How could they be able to even walk after what you did? What kind of a torturer are you?! Don't you have any pride in your work?"

Jorbell remained silent so Fahn turned back to the guard. "Okay, is there anything whatsoever you can do to find out..." He paused and studied the guard. "What are you doing?"

The guard had been intently gazing at the floor but swiftly glanced up at Fahn. "Um...making sure I'm not standing on a panel with hinges."

Fahn leaned back, smiling as he lay his hands on the armrests of the throne. "Ah. You've heard about the trapdoor I occasionally use to punish the ones who fail me, eh?"

"Um, yes," the guard admitted.

"Well, don't worry, that got too repetitive. I don't do that anymore."

"Really?" The guard visibly brightened.

"Really," Fahn said as he pressed down on a button. The panel underneath the guard blasted upward, sending him flying in the air. His startled yell was cut off as his body was impaled on a set of spikes hanging from the ceiling.

"Nice work," Fahn stated, staring up at the bloody trophy. "My compliments to the engineering staff." He sat back on his throne and shook his head. "I just don't understand. Why in the Great One's name would Eril betray me like this?"

"If I may, sir," Maro spoke up. "Perhaps it had something to do with his sister."

Fahn stared at him in confusion. "How so?"

"Well, sir you violated and then murdered his sister, then called him to take away her body only a few days ago," Maro said. "I think he might have become rather agitated by that."

Fahn furrowed his brow. "That was his sister?"

Maro stared at the emperor. "You didn't even know the name of the woman you raped and murdered?"

"You can't possibly expect me to remember the name of every single woman I've raped and murdered."

Maro was silent and Jorbell quickly stepped in to talk. "My Lord, we still have an issue with the guard," he stated.

"You think they'd have a problem killing their former commander?" Fahn asked.

"No," Jorbell easily stated. "But he knows our defenses, he knows the way the Fadakur thinks. He trained them, after all. If he survived the escape, and I believe it's safer to assume he did, he could cause major damage with such information."

"Who's he going to tell?" Fahn sniffed. "The other tribes are no major threat, we've seen to that. The only way they could threaten us is if they work together and we've ensured that never happens. Besides, he's only one man with two humans. What possible threat could he pose to us?"

"If memory serves," Maro spoke up. "That was almost exactly the same thing people were saying about you over twenty years ago."

Something close to anger flashed in Fahn's eyes before fading. "But he's not me," he stated. "That means he's not a threat."

"Can you be sure?" Maro pressed.

Fahn narrowed his eyes. "Listen closely, Maro," he said, leaning forward. "I keep you around because you can handle things I don't. You recognize threats I can't. But I am the emperor and do not forget that."

Maro brought his head up. "Sire, I have no wish to become an instant target and be stuck with the meaningless duties you usually perform. I enjoy being the power behind the throne."

"Be careful, Maro," Fahn stated. "I'm well aware of the fact that being behind the throne gives you an excellent opening for the knife in the back." He sat back and crossed his arms behind his head. "All right, if it will make you feel any better, double the guard, 38 hours a day, eight days a week." He paused and bent his head to the side. "There's a song in that somewhere..."

He gave out a wave of his hand, indicating the audience was finished. Sharing a look, Jorbell and Maro turned and walked toward the exit.

"This is not the way I envisioned this," Maro sighed as he and Jorbell walked down the hallways of the palace. "Curbing his...activities is more difficult than I had thought it would be. I tell you, Jorbell, this sudden obsession to destroy Melroy is going to cause some trouble for us."

"He is just another ruler, Maro," Jorbell stated. "I've seen enough of those over the years to know that it's best to simply let them have their way and try to stay out of it. It's worked well for us so far."

"True," Maro muttered. He sighed and shook his head before looking back at Jorbell. "But those two officers...What he said about them."

"Well, it was inevitable, in a way," Jorbell shrugged. "After all these years, someone from Earth was bound to find their way to here." He rubbed at his chin and sighed. "Still, for it to happen here and now...it doesn't feel right somehow."

"We'd best keep an eye out then," Maro stated. "The last thing we need is to have them hook up with Melroy and cause trouble."

"True," Jorbell stated. "I have no wish to be caught in such a rebellion."

Maro sniffed. "It's not as if that will hurt you that much." He ran a hand across the thin layer of hair along his scalp and sighed. "I must tell you, Jorbell, that seeing you staying the same while I have succumbed to age is not a pleasant experience."

"I can see that." Jorbell let out a slight smile. "But think about it this way, Maro. You get to pack so much...pleasure in a shorter time than I do."

Maro paused to think about it. "Well, there is that."

The Raulian Falls

Niagra Falls it wasn't but it was still quite beautiful. The river flowed through a valley of green fields, with flowers plentiful on either side. It ended in a round pool with the waterfall pouring from a river about two hundred feet above.

Behind the waterfall, hidden from view by the raging streams, was a massive open cavern. It was surprisingly well lit, with torches adding to the strange natural light that the rocks were giving off. Inside the cavern was a large structure, roughly the size of a cathedral. It was surprisingly simple, without many ornate trimmings and in many ways resembled the type of abbeys that had littered the Middle Ages.

There was a flood of bubbles in the pool before the building, a flood that swiftly grew as the water began to part. In a blast of water, a pointed shape emerged from the water, cone first. It hung for a moment before smacking down, the craft balancing itself out and then moving forward toward the small dock just outside the temple. It settled near the dock and the shielding on the top of the craft retracted.

"You could have told us there was a top to this thing!" Sean yelled as he and Kim began to climb out of the craft. Eril was already out and tying the boat to the dock, then rising to face them.

"I was in something of a rush," the guard stated. "I did give ample warning we took to the falls."

"Interesting definition of the word 'ample,'" Kim sourly remarked as the two cops met Eril on the dock. She let herself gaze out at the large building and bent her head. "Just what is this place?"

"A temple of the Order of Neiteran," Eril said as he led them toward the building. "The major religious order of Varra. It is considered neutral ground, a safe haven. Not even Fahn would attack someone here. It should be the perfect place to rest and plan our next move."

"As in, plan with us?" Sean stated. "Because so far this has been the Eril Koening show with Sean Cavendish and Kim Wagner as your special guest stars. You haven't asked us for permission for jackshit so far."

"We don't even know why you're helping us," Kim angrily threw in. "Why the hell should we suddenly accept-----"

Eril turned on them and for the first time, a clear emotion flashed across his face: Anger. "I have had my doubts over what I was doing for a long time," he hissed. "I have done things I am not proud of, horrors that you cannot begin to imagine, simply to maintain my own survival. I have seen a task I took as an honor degenerate into a level just above a barbarian. But it wasn't until Fahn raped and murdered my sister, the sole remaining member of my family, that I realized that I had pledged my loyalty to an utter monster. I was not going to let you two become the latest victims to his barbarism, not when I could help it. I saved your lives, Sean. The least I think I am afforded, the very least, is just a tad of gratitude and respect for that." He turned and marched away, leaving a stunned Kim and Sean behind.

"That man," Kim softly said. "Has problems."

"He fits right in here," Sean couldn't help remarking as the two followed.

The main room in the interior of the temple was made notable by its complete lack of any furniture, just a large flat area, roughly the size of the interior of a small church. On the far end of the room was a raised platform with a long altar set atop it. Before it stood the only occupant of the temple the trio had seen so far. He was tall and seemed to have a good build, dressed in a large gray robe and hood.

Eril paused before the edge of the steps to look up at the man. "Monk Senior," he called out. "We need your aid."

There was a snorting sound from the man as his head turned slightly. "Why not?" he stated sardonically. "I know enough about your kind to know you'll just take whatever you want anyway."

"Monk Senior, we come requesting aid and sanctuary..." Eril's voice trailed off as he took in the figure. He blinked and bent his head to the side. "I know you," he said, narrowing his eyes at the profiled figure. "How do I know you?"

"All right," the figure said as he turned his head nearer to the side. "I give up, how do you know me?"

"That voice..." Eril softly said, his brow furrowing. "That face..." His eyes suddenly shot wide open and his jaw unhinged in shock. "No..." he whispered. "It can't be..." He took a step forward and when he spoke it was with almost reverence. "General Ujaki?"

The man started. It was a start both Kim and Sean recognized, the start of a man who had just had a major secret uncovered. It was followed by a forced laugh of false disbelief that they both knew well. "Really," the man said as he turned around. "Do I look like------"

He stopped, his voice trailing as he took in Eril. He reached up and pushed back his hood to reveal his face. He had the same odd red-tinged skin as Eril and features that were strong despite their age. His head was mostly bald, save for a quite short ponytail at the back that was showing some gray to it. He appeared to be in his sixties (at least, as far as Kim and Sean could tell) and carried every year of it. His dark eyes narrowed as he saw Eril for the first time. "Wait," he said, his voice carrying a rumbling even when softened. "Can it be?" His eyes widened and his face broke out in a wide smile. "It is!" he cried out. "IT IS!"

Laughing, he moved down the stairs and embraced the stunned Eril. "Eril, my old and faithful friend, it is you!"

"Ujaki..." Eril said, his face showing his shock. "I...I can't believe it! We all thought you were dead! Killed in the Myeran War!"

The elder man broke the embrace and stepped back, a smile still on his face. "In many ways, you could say the great general did die then," he stated. "I saw most of my soldiers, the men most loyal to the king, wiped out by the conflict. I was badly wounded, I barely got out alive and thought it best to recover in secret." His face fell. "It was while I was recovering that Fahn took power and since I had never been very popular in his eyes, I felt it better that he believe me dead."

Eril frowned. "You've been in hiding? That doesn't sound like the Ujaki I knew."

Ujaki sighed. "It was hiding at first, simply avoiding the killers he sent after me." He looked up at Eril, pride in his eyes. "But I've learned things, old friend. I've learned to open my heart to true peace and understanding, I've learned how to fight for peace, not war. It has been...a good feeling, I must admit." He shook his head and looked at Eril. "But what of you, old friend? Why are you here?"

"I've done what I should have done years ago," Eril told him, a trace of shame in his voice. "I've turned against him and I'm planning to continue that trend."

Ujaki nodded, then looked at Kim and Sean. "And them?"

Eril looked back at the duo. "Off-worlders. I helped them escape Jorbell's little interrogation room and I'm trying to lead them to some friends they have here."

"You are all more than welcome to stay," Ujaki said. He looked at the two officers and raised an eyebrow. "But the first thing I would recommend is a bath."

"Been there, done that," the two sourly remarked.

Sean had to admit, the bath had been pretty good. After all he'd been through in the last day, the hot water and cool soap felt surprisingly good on his skin. It was just what he needed to try and wash away the aches of the day. At least, the physical ones.

He stepped out of the bath house and into the main hallway of the residence area of the temple. There were about a dozen other monks scattered around the building, all engaged in various duties, all in the same garment as Ujaki. Sean was wearing a dark orange robe and slippers, his hair still wet as he padded down the hallway. He saw Eril leaning against a wall and approached him. "Where's Kim?" he asked.

The guard nodded at a nearby room. "In there. She just got out of her own bath."

Sean was silent before speaking. "How is she?"

"What does it matter to you?"

Sean stared at him in shock. "What do you mean, what does it matter?" he demanded. "She's my partner and my friend, I care about her. I need to know she's okay."

"Physically yes," Eril answered. "Emotionally...that's another question. She has been put through much pain today, Sean. I think some it might be about you."

Sean narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Eril sighed. "I mean that having a secret she had kept close to her heart thrust into your knowledge is weighing on her greatly. She may be concerned that you will feel differently about her now that you know the truth. That may hurt her." He gave Sean a steady gaze. "You might hurt her."

"Hurt her?" Sean exploded. "Me hurt her?! Never, that would never happen, I could never do that, I could never hurt her, I love her too much to------"

He stopped, his jaw hanging open and his eyes widening as he realized what he had just said. "I love her," he whispered. "My God, I love her."

Eril stepped forward and clasped a hand to Sean's shoulder. "Then go to her," he said softly. "Go to her and show her how much you love her, my friend. She needs to know that." He turned and walked away on his heel, leaving a stunned Sean behind.

Sean Cavendish had never been a believer in an epiphany. The idea that a person, in one single instant, could suddenly see the way their entire life truly was and how to change it had, to Sean, seemed ridiculous. However, he was quickly becoming a convert as he realized for the first time the full range of his emotions for his partner.

The years of friendship. The way they worked together so well, the way he loved seeing her laugh or smile. The fact she was always there to help him and him to help her. The fact that none of the women he had ever dated seemed to measure up. For the first time ever, Sean realized just what he had subconsciously been measuring them up against. He swallowed hard as the secret he'd long hidden from himself was brought to life. And realized what he had to do next.

Kim let out a long groan as she sat onto the small bed. Not surprisingly, the temple rooms were simple and sparse on luxuries. Each room contained a lone bed, table, makeshift closet and small altar. Kim wasn't caring too much on the decoration of the place. She was tired out, in more ways than one. She was dressed in another loose robe which was a bit small on her. Her long blonde mane was still wet from her bath, which she'd had to herself. She'd gotten the idea that women weren't exactly common visitors to the place.

A knock on the door got her attention and she rose to her feet, walking over and opening it. She sucked in her breath as she saw Sean standing on the other side, his face sober. "Hey," he said. "Can I...um...can I come in?"

Part of Kim wanted to slam the door in his face and never come back out. She bit her lip as she considered her options. This was the moment she'd been dreading, the reason she had never voiced her feelings before. She knew Sean would be careful and sympathetic, that was part of his nature. But Kim knew what was coming. That in the end, Sean would state that he liked her as a friend but that was it.

Kim realized that she'd been standing there for several minutes as Sean waited and finally stepped back. "Come on in," she sighed as she turned and walked to the middle of the small room. Sean followed, closing the door behind him and leaning on it, crossing his arms as he looked at his partner.

It was silent for a long minute before Sean spoke. "How long?"

"How long have we known each other?" Kim answered.

Sean stared at her, then shook his head, letting out a rueful chuckle. "Explains a lot," he said. "God, it explains a whole lot of things over the years." A thought struck him and he looked over at Kim. "Did you...pull strings to get assigned to be my partner?"

Kim looked down at her feet. "I, um, sort of got my dad to offer some free Cubs tickets to the duty sergeant. You know, the whole 'best friends, good partners' thing." She looked back up at Sean. "But I really hoped that..." She couldn't bring herself to say anything else and instead turned around, her arms crossed before her.

Sean took two steps forward and tried to bring his thoughts together. "Why didn't you ever tell me?" he softly asked.

"Why?" Kim snorted, trying to fight against the tears that were starting to come to her eyes. "You go out with a lot of women, Sean, I've seen that. Sure, none of them last very long but you've made it clear that you'd rather go out with any other woman you look at other than me." She realized she had said more than she wanted to and quickly went silent once more. She could feel Sean's eyes burning at her back and waited for his next words.

"You're right," Sean said. "I do go out with a lot of women. A whole lot but none of them...well, none of them felt right. I didn't know why, they were all great but...they just didn't seem like what I wanted. None of them were what I was looking for." He let out a tiny chuckle. "Funny. It took going to another planet and nearly being tortured to death to make me realize that what I was looking for...was right in front of me all the time."

Kim was frozen for a moment, her face going blank. She slowly turned to face Sean, trying to force herself to not dare to hope. She looked at his face and saw an expression of desire that she had seen Sean hold when he talked about a woman he had just met. Only this time, not only was that directed at her but it had something added to it that Kim had never seen before.

"I'm an idiot," Sean announced. "I know that. Not just for never seeing how you felt about me. But also, for me never seeing how I felt about you." He carefully walked forward as he spoke, his eyes on Kim's. "I should have seen it long ago, should have admitted it myself years ago but I didn't. I couldn't. But now...I guess it's better late than never to say this." He took a deep breath and then spoke out strong. "I love you, Kimberly Wagner. I've loved you all my life and now that I've said it, I know I love you more than life."

Kim stared at him before closing her eyes. "Don't let me be dreaming," she whispered, tears running down her cheeks. "Please, God, don't let me be dreaming."

"Is this real enough for you?" With that, Sean moved forward and gave Kim the kiss she'd been waiting most of her life for. And it more than lived up to her expectations. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled herself closer to his body as their kiss deepened.

Any doubts Sean had over his feelings for Kim was blasted aside by the wave of absolute pleasure that came over him, in addition to an instant connection that went beyond mere friendship. He loved this woman, he knew that now and it was time to show it. However, his concern for her physical health was still strong in his mind as he broke the kiss off. "Kim," he softly said. "If you don't want to, I'd understand-----"

"I've wanted this for over ten years, Sean," Kim said, her eyes brimming with tears as she smiled. "And with you."

"Oh," Sean said. "Um, I don't...I mean, obviously I never expected to----"

"I'm on the pill."

Sean's eyebrows rose. "Wow."

"For five years."

Sean stared at her then chuckled. "Oh, God, I am an idiot."

A sultry smile came onto Kim's face. "Start making up for it." She moved in to kiss him again, their tongues wrapping together as they once more embraced. Sean's hands moved down her back and caressed her backside, causing Kim to let out a sigh through her kiss. She returned the favor, sliding her hands down and around and giving his buttocks a tight squeeze. Sean grunted and Kim could feel his now-erect cock pressing against her leg. She managed to break away from Sean and stepped back, her hands fumbling at the clasp of her robe. Taking a deep breath, she opened it up and pushed it away, letting it fall to a pool at her feet and showing off her naked body.

Sean just stared at her. Her well-trimmed frame showed the hours of exercise she put in every week but was still incredibly feminine. Her full breasts hung perfectly on her and as she gave a slow turn, Sean could see a heart and dagger tattoo on her right shoulder. She finished her turn and faced him, biting her lip as she waited for him to speak.

"You're beautiful," Sean whispered. "How could I have never seen just how beautiful you are?"

Kim couldn't take it anymore, moving forward and embracing Sean into another hot kiss. As he returned it, Sean fumbled with his own robe, with Kim helping. Soon, it joined hers on the floor as the two officers stumbled toward the bed, falling onto it and rolling about. Years of hidden passion were coming loose in moments as the two continued to kiss and caress the other's bodies, loving the chance to finally be able to enjoy the moment.

Kim ended up on top, pressing her body down on Sean as they kissed. She moved herself up, letting Sean's hands clasp her full breasts. Kim groaned as she felt Sean squeeze at her chest, kneading her breasts in his hands. Maybe it was the fact that they belonged to a woman he knew he loved but Sean considered them the most perfect pair of breasts he had ever seen or felt. He brought one down to his mouth and let his lips circle the nipple. Kim gasped as she felt him suckle on her breast, pressing both together as he let his tongue drag along them. She cupped them together, pressing them down so Sean could get at them easier. She suddenly let one hand drift down to Sean's lap, her hand clenching at his cock. Sean gasped around Kim's breast as he felt her hand rub at his shaft, lengthening it out and sending Sean to the edge.

The heat of the moment, the knowledge that this was actually happening to her at long last, was making Kim more aroused than she had ever been in her life. She was tired of waiting, it was time to consummate her love with Sean.

She moved herself up and spared a glance at Sean's lap. Her eyes widened at the sight of his rock-hard penis. *God, it's even bigger than I thought!* She looked down at Sean, his hands still clutching at her breasts. His eyes told her that he was as ready as she was and Kim knew it was time. She shifted herself down, spreading her legs and sliding her pelvis onto Sean's rod. She let out a squeal as she felt his member enter her and shifted herself about to take him in. As soon as she had, she began rocking herself back and forth, squeezing her thighs together to feel him inside her. To her delight, Sean quickly matched her rythym, giving his cock small thrusts in and out of her as Kim worked against him.

She moved herself up a bit, her long blond hair cascading around her, part of it on Sean's face, her hands on his broad shoulders for balance as she rocked on him. His hands once more found her breasts and squeezed them, causing her to let out a yelp. He groaned as he felt himself build inside her. "God, Kim...." he let out. "This is..."

"Shhh...." Kim whispered. "Let me....enjoy it...I've waited so long, Sean....Oh, God, baby, you're so good....!" She moved up a bit, her breasts bouncing slightly with each thrust forward, Sean's hands moving away from them. They slid down her flat stomach and hips before coming around to her rear end. Kim gasped as she felt his hands clutch at her buttocks and squeeze. "Oh shit, Sean!" she let out. "I'm...Oh, God, I'm ready, I'm sooo ready..." She resisted the urge to just sit right up. She had long decided that if this ever happened, she wanted to be able to look him in the face, to see his joy when they orgasmed together for the first time. She briefly closed her eyes as she felt the first drops of his semen start to enter her.

Sean squeezed her ass again, closing his eyes as he felt his cock ready to burst inside her. Their movements became more frenetic, the thrusts stronger as each knew the time was coming close to climax. "Kim..." he gasped. "I'm gonna come...."

"I'm ready..." Kim whispered. "Oh, God, Sean, I'm ready, please..."

"I love you, Kim, oh, God, I love you!" With that, Sean let himself release, a white flash filling his vision as he came inside her. Kim arched herself back, her hair whipping back as she screamed in pure ecstasy, first as she felt Sean's wad blasting into her, then as she felt herself release with him. She remained frozen for a long moment as the wave stuck her before slumping down onto him. Both heaved with breath, their bodies stained with sweat as they tried to climb down from the mountain of joy they had just reached.

"Of all the ways I've imagined our first time," Kim gasped. "And I've imagined quite a few...In a temple under a waterfall on an alien planet was never in the top fifty."

"You always said I could be counted on for the unexpected," Sean returned. He brought her down and pressed his lips on hers for a long kiss. They finally broke apart and Kim took a breath.

"You think we'll get in trouble for this?" she asked, frowning. "Making love in a temple, that is."

The smile Sean gave her lit up her heart. "It's worth anything we get from above."

Kim felt tears return to her eyes. "God, I love you," she whispered.

"And I love you," Sean replied. "And it feels good to say it. Oh, God, Kim, I'm sorry we didn't get to this before."

"It's okay," Kim said, her hand caressing his face as she smiled down at him. "It is, Sean. Better late than never, right?"

"Right," Sean smirked. "Well, seeing as how I've got a few years to make up for..."

Kim raised an eyebrow. "You're ready to go again already?"

Sean gave her a smile. "I think we just wanted to get to it before," he stated. "Now that we know we can work...let's enjoy it this time." With that, he wrapped his arms around her and rolled them over with Kim on her back. She sighed and spread out her arms, lying back on the bed as Sean once more made her dreams come true.

The prayer hall was quiet when Eril entered it, still dressed in his uniform. He stopped as he saw Ujaki by the altar, lighting a trio of candles in an ornate holder. It was still taking Eril some difficulty to accept that his old friend and commanding officer was still alive. And a priest of all things was even harder to believe. Taking a breath, Eril stepped forward until he was behind Ujaki, then lashed out a hand.

With a speed that belied his age, Ujaki ducked to one side, then reached out his hand, clasping Eril by the elbow and shooting a fist out at him. The fist stopped inches from Eril's face, the two remaining frozen for a moment. Suddenly, Eril let out a laugh and shook his head. "You still have the reflexes, I see," he stated. "It is good to see you again, General."

"Please, Eril, it's just Ujaki now," the monk said as he released Eril's arm and backed away. "Actually, it's Monk Senior but I will accept your being more informal."

"Yes, that always was your style," Eril remembered. He glanced toward the area where the living quarters were. "I suspect it still is." He looked at Ujaki and raised an eyebrow. "You do know what they're doing there, don't you?"

Ujaki nodded. "I do."

Eril waited and then pressed on. "And?"

Ujaki smiled. "I believe that when true love is involved, then the Gods can make any exception."

Eril sighed. "It's still strange to hear you talk like a religious man." He looked back at Ujaki and smiled. "But it's good to hear you talk at all."

"I feel the same," the monk dryly replied. He looked back at the living quarters and raised an eyebrow of his own. "They are...interesting beings."

"More than you know," Eril stated. "They talked back to Fahn as if he was beneath their notice. This wasn't bravado, it was a deliberate act formed by a character containing sheer will." He shook his head. "I tell you, Ujaki, if the rest of their race is anything like them, then they may well be the most dangerous breed of humans in the cosmos."

A loud yelling sound came to their ears and the two glanced to the bedrooms. "They're certainly among the loudest," Ujaki muttered. He sighed and turned back to Eril. "Care to join me for a bite to eat and to discuss old times?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Eril answered. The two turned and walked away, leaving behind them the sounds of two police officers becoming partners in more ways than one.

*****

Part twelve: In which not-so-conjugal visits are paid and things get more complicated.

Joyce Summers Home
Sunnydale, CA
May 25th, 1999
2204 Hours PST

The basement of Joyce's house wasn't exactly made for containing prisoners but given the free space available, there was enough for Zev. He was lying on a makeshift bench, his hands behind his head, appearing surprising nonchalant given the circumstances. When the door leading to the basement banged open, he looked to the side and glowered. "I am not in the mood," he announced.

"Frankly, I don't think they care," Jenny stated from her position near the stairs. She was keeping a sharp eye on the field containing Zev, making sure it was holding strong. Giles had aided the witches in putting it together, making it stronger than before and not as susceptible to such easy tricks as Zev had pulled before. Willow and Amy were upstairs, still recovering from Zev's assault and Jenny had volunteered to keep watch and make sure he didn't try anything. Now, she had company.

Buffy, Kendra and Faith each spared a nod at Jenny before coming to where Zev lay. Buffy's face was drawn with anger, Faith appeared satisfied and Kendra had a rougher edge than normal. Zev stared upward, taking in their glares before finally speaking. "What do you want?"

"Just wanted to talk to you," Faith put in. 

"Actually, I wanted to hit you but I was outvoted," Buffy stated. 

Zev rolled his eyes. "Ladies, the only thing you three have done this evening to ingratiate yourselves upon me was to try to attack me and allow me to beat on you all. Now, that was a brief moment of fun so I'll cut you some slack there but for now, I'd really appreciate being alone."

"Tough," Faith grunted. "You screwed around with our mom, asshole."

Zev slowly turned his head to look at the brunette, the blond and the black-skinned woman on the end. "Yes, I see the family resemblance," he remarked with as dry a tone as possible.

Buffy stepped forward, crossing her arms and glaring right at Zev. "You don't screw with me or my family," she hissed. "Not now, not ever. Coming here hunting down Roz was bad enough. But to screw my mom over just to get your jollies? That gets me pissed."

"Yes, I sensed that when you were trying to decapitate me," Zev remarked. "Not that I need to defend myself to you but your mother did appear to be a very interesting person and one I wanted to get to know better as long as I was in town."

"And then to leave behind when you were through?" Kendra glowered.

"Something like that," Zev stated. "Of course, I had a feeling she wouldn't exactly be in the best of conditions when I left."

Faith's nostrils flared. "Are you saying you expected Joyce to end up dead by the time you were done?"

Zev remained silent and Buffy's teeth ground together. "Jenny, drop this thing, I'm gonna kick his----"

"Girls." The three froze and then slowly turned to see Joyce climb down the stairs. Beside her, Sherlock padded down by her side, obviously ready to defend Joyce if need be. The elder Summers gave the girls a strong look as she made it to the bottom of the stairs. "Girls," she repeated. "I'd like to have a talk with Zev." She let her eyes glance toward Jenny. "Alone." 

"Mom, that's not such a good----"

"Buffy, he's behind a mystical force field and I have a dog who can change into a monster wolf ready to attack if need be. I can handle a conversation."

A long silence went over the basement. The three Slayers obviously didn't like the idea but a single look from Joyce was enough to close that conversation. With a last row of icy glances at Zev, the three marched away and up the stairs. Jenny backed as far toward the stair as she could. "I'm sorry," she called out to Joyce. "It's better that I stay here, to make sure the field's intact."

Joyce nodded and stepped forward, Sherlock at her side. They came up to the field as she stared at Zev. He slowly sat up, crossing his arms and returning her gaze without backing down. Joyce looked him over for a moment before speaking. "How are you?"

Zev seemed a little surprised at the question. He moved one arm out and his spikes popped out. Joyce could see that two of them were still broken. "These will take a while to get fixed," he stated. "I took a few rough shots but I heal like you wouldn't believe."

"You'd be surprised," Joyce remarked. She set her jaw and tried to keep calm. 

"May I ask just what the plan is?" Zev remarked. "Surely, there are better places to put me then in your basement, particularly seeing as how I've already caused some damage to your house."

"Roz has to wait until midnight to do what she needs to do," Joyce stated. "After that's over..."

"I can guess the rest," Zev remarked sardonically. He sighed and shook his head. "Wouldn't you know it. The one woman in...well, a long time that I feel like knowing better and her daughter just happens to be in my sister's employ."

"My daughter doesn't work for anyone," Joyce stated. "She did this because it's what she wanted to do."

"What a lovely little moral code she has," Zev sardonically said. He got to his feet and began to pace his small area. "Is she a law enforcement officer?"

"No," Joyce replied. "All three of them are."

Zev took a moment to shrug that off. "I know what you want to ask me. And the answer is...I asked you out because it's something I felt like doing."

Joyce stared at him. "That's it? That's your whole answer?"

"I don't make many attachments in my life, Joyce," Zev said. "That shouldn't be much of a surprise, given what I do with it. So, when I saw someone whom I thought would be a nice way to kill some time with, I took it upon myself to try and make that happen." He snorted. "And now look at just where that lovely little trip has gotten me."

/Sheesh, what a grouch/ Sherlock remarked inside Joyce's head.

"You stay out of this!" Zev snapped, pointing a finger at the dog. "I have enough problems on my mind as it is."

It took Joyce and Sherlock a moment to realize that Zev had been addressing the dog directly. "You...you can hear him?" Joyce stammered in shock.

"Low-level telepathic abilities," Zev said. "It's a male trait in my species." He smirked at Sherlock. "It's usually only effective with lower animals."

/HEY!/ Sherlock growled at the man. /Don't get high and mighty on me, buddy, remember who's imprisoned right now!/

"I can get out if I feel like it," Zev sniffed.

/Yeah, right./

"You doubt me?" Zev hissed.

/Considering it was a wolf who took you down, I think whistling in the dark is the term that applies here./

"Don't make me have to curb you."

"Okay, let's just calm down here and-----" Zev stopped and closed her eyes. "I'm moderating an argument between a dog and an alien. This isn't life, it's Kafka." Taking a deep breath, Joyce tried to get her bearings back. "Look, I just want to say one thing." 

She drew herself up and glared at Zev. "I haven't made many connections since I came here to Sunnydale and my...romantic history isn't something I'm happy about." She narrowed her eyes at Zev and delivered the rest of her statement coldly. "So, you can imagine how hurt I was at the fact that a man I had hoped would be a charming and considerate host was using me. I don't like that. I really don't. If your task was to try and hurt me, you did. But you won't do it again. Believe me on that."

She turned on her heel and began to walk away. Sherlock threw a growl at Zev before turning to join her.

"Joyce." At his simple word, Joyce turned to see Zev staring at her. It was without malice, without anger. When he spoke, it was a flat, simple tone, the tone of a man who meant every word he said as absolute fact. "You're going to die, Joyce. You, your daughters, your friends, this town...you're all going to die. Believe me on that."

"Ever the sweet-talker, Zev." Joyce and Zev turned to see Roz stepping into the basement. She smiled as she walked past Joyce and toward the field. Joyce could see Zev instantly stiffen and glare at the woman. Roz let her eyes rake up and down Zev's body and her smile widened. "All dressed up and no place to go. Story of your life, huh, bro?"

Zev set his jaw before speaking. "If these are the last hours I have," he stated. "I'd appreciate it if I didn't have to spend them with you."

Roz appeared hurt. "Aw, come on, Zev. Don't be so mad just because I busted up your little dinner date."

Zev rushed to the edge of the field, only to bounce off the shield with a  shower of painful sparks. Roz didn't step back but kept smiling as Zev staggered back. "Ah, Zev. You never knew when to quit while you're ahead." She leaned in, her face inches before the field. "This will go much more smoothly if you just bow to the inevitable."

"You want inevitable?" Zev snarled as he looked back up at Roz, his eyes flaring. "Fine. Here's inevitable. Someone will kill you. I don't know who but I'm not the only one who wants you dead. Somewhere, someday, someone will kill you. And when you get to the Crossroads of Jurden, I'll be there to shove you through the door to Surton."

Roz smirked. "Don't expect to see me there for a very long time." She stepped back and let out a little laugh. "You've lost, Zev. It seems a shame that the chase has to end like this but that's life for you." She turned and began to walk away. "Enjoy what you have of yours." She brushed past Jenny and Joyce and marched back up the stairs. 

Joyce watched her go and then turned toward Jenny. "She seems happier," she stated.

"She's gotten the man stalking her off her back for good," Jenny replied. "That would brighten anyone up."

"I suppose," Joyce stated. "When does she plan to leave?"

"This conjunction occurs at midnight," Jenny stated. "She's been having us give her crystal some boosts."

Joyce glanced at her. "Boosts?"

"Nothing too major," Jenny said. "Just enough to get her started before she can open the portal. For such a small item, it appears to be able to do a lot."

Joyce sniffed. "Maybe she should use that ring of hers. That's almost as big a rock."

Jenny frowned. "Ring?"

"Yes, that red one on her left hand," Joyce said. "You saw it, right?"

Jenny furrowed her brow. "Hmmm. Never really took it in before. Interesting."

Joyce spared a final look at Zev and saw him lying back on the bench, appearing a bit deflated. She began to march back up the stairs, Sherlock by her side.

/What's up?/ the dog asked.

/I don't know/ Joyce admitted. /Something...Something just doesn't seem as right as it should be. I don't know what but...something.../ She shook her head. /I have to go and talk to Ulric./

Sherlock did the canine equivalent of raising an eyebrow. /Wow. He's driven you to the church?/

/Not quite/ Joyce stated. /Not...quite./

"One great thing about spatial hopping," Roz remarked as she sipped at her drink. "I save a fortune on luggage." She had a small bag by her side with some clothing in it, sitting by her chair. She was in Joyce's kitchen, several sheets of paper before her, scrawled with equations and diagrams that not even Willow could make any sense out of. The teenager equation of Section Seven was with her, watching as Roz continued her equations.

"Are you sure you don't need anything else?" Faith threw in. 

"Yes, Faith, I am," Roz said. "Look, I appreciate the attention, guys, but I do need to get ready. I've only got about an hour before I have to do this."

"Well, we don't get too many aliens around here," Xander stated. "We want to savor the experience as much as we can."

"Open to new experiences, I like that," Roz remarked. She suddenly rose up and moved out of the room. "Sorry, guys, I have to check something with my own stuff quick."

"You sure you have to go?" Randi said. "As long as we have Zev, you're safe if you want to